Potential Pocket Rocket
by Caramelapple27
Summary: It's 1954, a time when the potentials for women are housewives and secretaries but Teresa Lisbon wants to reach her potential of being a cop. A murder at her workplace may give her that chance and also meeting carnival psychic Patrick Jane. AU
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Potential Pocket Rocket

Nifty Fifty Girl

 **I wanted to try something different with a story. I've been seeing a lot of fifties things lately, so this came to me one night. This story is looking at Lisbon in a time where women weren't as respected in the job force as men were and also didn't have as many opportunities for professions such as law enforcement. I will try to keep them in character as much as I can though I might throw in some fifties slang every so often with the characters. I will try to keep working on _Our Life From Now On._**

 **Disclaimer:Don't Own Anything**

 **Sacramento 1954**

Teresa Lisbon scurried to the tall office building in Sacramento labeled Jones and Son, Attorneys at Law in large steel letters. The building wasn't as big as in Chicago, but still tall enough to be called a skyscaper. Oh, how she hated being a woman in this time. The only job she was able to procure ended up being a secretary. Or a maid. She couldn't do house work if her life depended on it. It wasn't as though as she was real sloppy, it just wasn't her favorite thing to do. She straightened her white pill box hat over her pulled up bun and pulled down her green skirt and checked her blouse. She wished she could wear her pants instead but of course the dress code required the women to be in suits.

She entered the large building and entered the elevator with another, she assumed to be secretary with red hair put up in a purple tweed suit with a pill box hat. "Hello, you starting today as well?" The red head asked.

"Yes, I would prefer not to, since that's all I could get." Lisbon responded rolling her eyes.

"I know, same here. Grace Van Pelt." Grace smiled and shook Lisbon's hand with her white glove covered hands.

"Teresa Lisbon." Lisbon answered giving off a small smile shaking the young woman's hand.

"I just moved here from Iowa." Grace said.

"You moved a long way just to be a secretary." Lisbon noted to the younger woman. "Don't they have those in Iowa?"

"It's a long story." Grace smirked. "How about you?"

"Just getting something to pay my bills." Lisbon said.

The elevator dinged and the two women stepped out into the office of chattering typewriters and constant phone rings with various ages of women answering them. A man strolled up to the two women coming from the hallway of offices. "Ah, you must be our new recruits. I'm Walter Mashburn, one of the lawyers who hired you sweet ladies." Walter said skimming them up and down with his eyes.

"We appreciate it" Lisbon said with gratitude, however noticing the man's almost leering eyes towards her. She didn't need a man looking at her just as a pretty face. She had a mind too. All throughout school, she definitely wasn't like other girls wanting to find a man and get married and be a housewife. Her goal career in life was wanting to become a cop but unfortunately that particular profession was only reserved for men at the time. Well, at least the field work was. She learned from other sources women in law enforcement were on desk duty. She wanted the thrill to go out in the field, wanted to help people and catch criminals. She had some training which the school reluctantly accepted her. But when she tried to look at police officer openings, they refused to hire her after finding out she was a woman. It was frustrating nonetheless. She was just as good as any of the men she took training with, perhaps better.

When other teenage girls focused on boys and being pretty, she was focused on helping raise her brothers. Her mother died in a car accident and her father drank and he couldn't actively take care of them. She spent countless times lying about her father's 'conditon'. She couldn't handle anymore and so she just left leaving her brothers under their aunt's care. She traveled to California to get away from her situation in Chicago. When she arrived in California, she decided she should try for a job no matter what it was and secretary made the list. Now here she was doing a job she dreaded being stuck in one of the few jobs a woman could hold in this day and age. She wanted so much more, but she needed to accept this for now.

After Mr. Mashburn left she and Grace were led by another assistant to desks set side by side each furnished with a typewriter, a phone, paper, pen and stapler.

"This is our workplace." Lisbon said taking a seat. She looked around the room and saw the many women taking calls. "Hello, Jones and Son, may I help you?" Oh, God this is what her life would be, answering calls for big shot lawyers. There were already plenty of receptionists as she saw Grace taking a seat prepared for the job as well. Another man in a business suit entered the room and walked up to the two women at their desks. "Hello, ladies, you must be the new girls."

"Yes." Grace said with her shy charm. "Grace Van Pelt."

"Teresa Lisbon."

"I'm Timothy Carter. I was instructed by Mr. Jones to give you a tour." The reddish haired man with rimmed glasses said with a high pitched voice.

"Thank you. We'd love one." said Grace said shyly. Lisbon followed teetering in her heels. Grace noticed. "Not used to those shoes yet."

"I hate them. I bought them for the job." Lisbon cringed looking down at the shoes.

"Here at Jones and Son, we provide the best services for our clients. There are 10 of us here. Me included. What your job would be is answering the phones for Mr. Mashburn and myself. The other secretaries work for the other lawyers including Mr. Jones." Mr. Carter indicated to the other women answering phone calls. "You will also type up letters for us as well and do some transcription for us as well."

"I look forward to it." Lisbon said with false excitement.

Mr. Carter led Lisbon and VanPelt through the building until he stopped at an office door with a placard etched with his name. "This is my office. And over here is Mr. Mashburn's office." Mr. Carter directed to another office with his hand.

Finally, Lisbon and Van Pelt came back to their the day Lisbon answered calls for angry housewives and disgruntled corporate mongrels. She had to transfer those calls to either Mr. Mashburn or Mr. Carter.

Later, after getting home to her apartment, she looked at her boxes she had yet to unpack. It had been weeks since she moved, but she hadn't gotten around to unpack those. All she needed was her necessary clothes and a few other necessities. She didn't feel yet again to unload those lonely boxes. She needed something else to keep her mind off her mindless job. She heard a knock on her door and she went to open it. "Hello, Teresa, oh, here's your milk. I hope you don't mind I kept it in my refrigerator until you came home. I didn't want it to get spoiled." Her landlord, Mr. Steiner, a 70 year old man appeared with a jar of milk. "And your mail."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Steiner." Lisbon said taking the milk and the mail.

"Hope you had a good day." Mr. Steiner said as he left.

She liked her landlord, she knew he was a lonely old man, whose wife had died a few years earlier. So far, she noticed he always took care of things in the apartment. He even did her plumbing when it didn't work when she first arrived. It was frustrating enough to unpack her clothes and take her boxes up the stairs. Mr. Steiner even carried a couple up for her.

After taking the paper and milk in, she walked to her refrigerator, opened it and set it in. She then decided to see if there was anything going on in town and carried the paper with her and took her seat at the couch. She had heard about some night clubs, but it didn't make sense to go alone. She looked in the paper and saw the advertisement "Carnival in Town."

Patrick Jane suited up that night for his act in his three piece suit including vest, which he did for years. His father started him at the age of 10 becoming the "Boy Wonder." After learning about his impressive observation skills, his father knew there was a moneymaker in the family. He knew all the trade of becoming a conman of discovering potential marks and suckers that would fall easily for the tricks. So, he taught everything to his son and put him as the psychic of the carnival. Jane came out of his makeshift dressing room and looked at the setup of the tent, "Boy Wonder." He thought instantly he should change the name as he was a grown man now, and the title boy didn't exactly fit him now and it had been years since the name deemed appropriate. He got behind the curtain waiting for his name to be announced. He heard the crowd gather in and heard them chatter about whether he was real or not.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, let us give great welcome to our "Boy Wonder" psychic and mind reader and connection to the dead, Patrick Jane!" The announcer chimed. He walked out to the cheering crowd.

Lisbon arrived late at the carnival at 8:30, probably nearly closing time. She noticed the sparkling lights of the ferris wheel, took in the smells of popcorn, hot dogs, pretzels, and cotton candy being sold by food vendors as she walked along the dirt path of the fairgrounds. She saw children excitedly take in the carnival games hoping to win a prize with parents impatiently waiting hoping it would be the last time, and couples smiling at each other on their date. She was alone without no one, but to her it was okay. She didn't need anyone with her to enjoy an evening out. Ever since she left her brothers, at times she felt guilty. She was supposed to the responsible, had to be there for them. However, she needed to be gone, to start her own life. They were nearly grown and wouldn't need her anymore and would do the same thing. She didn't know why she decided to go to the carnival. She didn't have children and she did at one time brought her brothers to one in Chicago. Maybe it reminded her of that time, a joyful time with her brothers instead of the bad times when her father became abusive and then afterwards wouldn't remember the next day what he did. She hadn't met many people so far in Sacramento besides her landlord and Grace Van Pelt and of course Mr. Mashburn and Mr. Carter. She liked Grace so far and hopefully would become friends with her. She walked past the tent that said the bearded lady, which she wasn't interested in seeing. She saw a few rides for children, which didn't interest her. She then came across the tent with the big sign "Boy Wonder". She noticed the show and started hearing a man talking. She peeked inside the tent and stood in the back and noticed the blond man with a suit and vest speaking to a woman. "Your mother is here. She tells me not to worry, everything is okay." The man with his eyes closed and his arms out. "She tells me always remember your special little place. A rock of some sort, right?"

"Yes, our resting rock. We would sit for hours reading and talking." The woman said. "How'd you do that?"

Lisbon watched and couldn't believe this man could actually talk to the dead. She rolled her eyes at the thought and not only that he seemed a little old to be called "Boy Wonder". Oh, well. He seemed to wow the crowd nevertheless. She didn't believe in such things as 'psychics'. It was all for the show for these people.

As he was doing his act, through the lights, Jane noticed a short woman with dark hair come in. She was a skeptic he knew as he noticed her rolling her eyes. As he continued his act, for some reason he fixated on that woman. There was something about her. He didn't know what, but something special.

After the show, Lisbon turned to leave through the crowd exiting the tent, when she heard a voice behind her. "You're a skeptic, aren't you?"

She turned and looked seeing the blond psychic seeing that most of the crowd had left with the exception of the announcer who was conversing with an short overweight man with a gray beard.

"I saw your face during my performance. Your posture tells me you're a cop." Jane stated boring his eyes at her and noticed her straight posture.

"I'm not a cop. I'm a secretary." Lisbon said looking straight at him.

"You want to be one, though. I see it in your eyes." Jane said.

"Yes, unfortunately society doesn't exactly allow women in that particular profession, at least not in the field. Yes, I am a skeptic. You couldn't have possibly talked to the woman's mother." Lisbon said surprised he could tell her deepest wish.

"What brought you out on this lovely night? You don't look the carnival type." Jane observed.

"And what is the carnival type?" Lisbon questioned.

"Children, mostly teenagers. Some adults. Patrick Jane." Jane said holding his hand out. Lisbon decided to take it.

"I didn't have anything to do tonight, so I decided to come and see what it's like." Lisbon said releasing her hand from his firm grip. "Teresa Lisbon. Aren't you a little old to be called a Boy?" Lisbon questioned looking at the man that looked in his late 20s-early 30s.

"Just never gotten around to change it." Jane grinned. "My dad's idea originally."

"Why did you decide to talk to me? Do you normally talk to members of your audience after the show?" Lisbon asked raising her eyebrow.

"Typically, no. I don't." Jane said. "You just seemed interesting."

"I have to go, I have an early morning at the office. I really shouldn't have come tonight." Lisbon said.

"But yet you decided to come out tonight and watch my little act." Jane said grinning.

"I was bored. I have to go though, it's getting late." Lisbon said turning to leave.

"Good to meet you, Ms. Lisbon." Jane said.

"I'd rather be Teresa or just Lisbon." Lisbon said.

"Just call me Patrick or Jane." Jane said in response. "Hope to see you around again this week. We're here in town all week until Sunday."

"I'll see." Lisbon said turning to leave. Jane continued looking at admiring Teresa Lisbon as she walked out. Then he exited the tent and walked through the carnival and towards the trailers in the back where he made himself at home with a very special girl. He noticed through the window, his good friend Sam Barsocky.

"What took you so long, Paddy?" Samantha Barsocky, the African American woman asked opening the door. Jane walked in the trailer greeting his friend. "Hello, Sam."

"Oh, he was involved talking up a young lady." Pete Barsocky said coming from behind him

"I was being friendly."

"You were talking to a lady?" Sam said excitedly.

"Daddy!" A little blonde girl in a pink dress called to him and ran to him and placed her arms around giving him a big hug.

"Hello, Charlotte, honey. I just got back from work." Jane hugged his three year old daughter.

He thought about his talk with Teresa Lisbon, the woman he met that night. He didn't know why he decided to talk to her. He hadn't talked to a woman like that since Angela died. His precious Angela who lost her life soon after their little girl was born. Angela and him grew up together leading them to fall in love and getting married and discovering their precious child on the way. They talked about leaving the carnival life after the baby arrived and get a real home and real jobs.

That fateful night Angela went into labor and complications happened. The doctor couldn't get to the trailer park in Carson Springs. A few hours later Charlotte was born. A few minutes later, Angela was dead leaving him as a single father. He thought about whether or not to do as he and Angela planned, but he stayed on the carnival circuit doing his act raising the baby. Luckily, he had his good friends Sam and Pete Barsocky to help him raise his daughter.

"I drawd." Charlotte hurried awkwardly over to the table with a booster seat, but couldn't quite reach the table with a paper. Sam picked it up and handed to the little girl, smiling. "You did that for your daddy, didn't you?"

"Yes.." Charlotte said skipping towards her father but tripping and falling on the floor and immediately started crying a little. He picked her up in a comforting embrace.

"I'm sorry, honey. Let's see your picture."Jane said taking the drawing which the little girl still held. "This is very good, honey." He smiled at the attempt of a drawing of four stick figures, three large ones and a little one which he assumed to be himself, Sam, Pete, and Charlotte. After Angela's death, he couldn't cope without his little girl. She made the pain easier to always see her smiling hopeful face. At first when Angela wanted to leave the life to go out into the real world, he was hesitant, of course, but then she convinced him of her decision and he talked to a realtor about a house, but he never got to show it to her. So, he decided he wasn't going to look at it after all, since he wasn't leaving his current life. Lately, he'd been rethinking the decision to stay for his daughter's sake. Carnival life wasn't exactly the best place to raise a child; he knew from experience of growing there himself. His father saw no need for him to get higher education, he told him, "This is your classroom, son. You have all your learning right here for ya." He held his little girl longer and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He might as well tell his friends about his thoughts now. Noticing Charlotte asleep, he walked over to the bed. Sam immediately pulled down the covers and Jane carefully set the girl on the bed and pulled the comforter and sheet on her. She reminded him of Angela so much; her features were almost identical to his wife's. "Maybe I should really get a real home like Angela wanted and something permanent." Jane said admiring his sleeping daughter and turned towards his friends standing in the trailer.

"You can't be serious, Paddy, about moving, this is our home, as mobile as it is, it's our blood. Angela didn't know what she wanted." Pete reminded seriously coming up to his friend. "She had a fantasy about the outside world."

"You think the world outside would accept Pete and me as a couple? Even though the society want to be entertained by us, that world doesn't want to interact with us. We're too different." Sam said pointing a scolding finger.

"Paddy, what are you going to do? Being a psychic is all you know. Are you going to be a salesman selling vaccums?" Pete asked giving off a cold laugh.

"Charlotte is going to be school age in a couple of years and and Angela wanted our child to go to school and not work at the carnival." Jane said. He knew his idea wouldn't go well with Sam and Pete. They were right about the outside, not accepting carnies as real people and especially with their marriage being a biracial couple. He wanted to leave more for Angela and Charlotte than himself because he knew he didn't have an idea of what to do outside of being a psychic. He hadn't thought ahead on that part, but he could easily learn any trade if he had to be with his excellent memory.

"Is this have something to do with the woman you talked with tonight?" Sam asked.

"No, I've been thinking about it a long time." Jane admitted.

 **Not everything may be historically accurate in this story, but I have done some research. I know I'm making Lisbon a secretary but I have plans for her. I decided I wanted to have Charlotte be alive since I've been in the mood to write little kids and I thought that would add to this story.**

 **I decided to use Timothy Carter because I had seen the actor in the movie _Saving Mr. Banks_ which was set the sixties. Feedback is appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Flirty, Fifty Guys

 **I've been having fun writing this story. I've had some help for research and talking to people who grew up in the fifties. I have a few chapters of this story written and decided to go ahead and put it. I'm doing this for myself and just having fun. I'll have a chapter of Our Life From Now On up soon.**

 **Disclaimer:Don't Own Anything**

Arriving at work the next day ready and willing to do whatever needed to be done, Teresa walked to her desk seeing Grace. She greeted the younger woman who looked to be around 21. She herself was 23. Teresa then noticed a request memo from Mr. Mashburn to meet him in his office to dictate a letter. Right before she she applied for the job, she made sure her typing skills were up to par expected of her. She did not have much experience with typing before but she knew the basics.

"So, did you have a good evening, Teresa?" Grace asked turning her lips into a smile. "Do anything fun? I just stayed home basically, doing nothing."

"Oh, I stopped at the carnival." Lisbon gleamed.

"That sounds swell." Grace said intrigued. Have you been there before?"

"I used to go take my brothers and I didn't have anything to do and wanted to see what the big fuss is. I've seen posters all over and the newspaper ads." Lisbon confessed.

"I've never been. My parents always told me they weren't safe, so they never allowed me to go. They said carny folk can't be trusted." Grace confessed. "They're sleezy and slimy." Grace grimaced.

"I don't worry, I can take care of myself. It didn't seem dangerous, there were lots of children." Lisbon said.

"Even without protection?" Grace questioned worriedly.

"You mean without a man?" Lisbon said sarcastically and rolled her eyes.

"My mom has always said not to go alone when you're a woman." Grace said. "You never know what could happen."

"You came to California on your own, didn't you?" Lisbon looked carefully at Grace. "That was a pretty brave thing to do."

"Yes, I did. I'm from a small town, Pella, which is a Dutch town, hence my last name. I wanted to be more independent and I was tired of my mom telling me that. I wanted to see someplace else and California seemed like a nice place." Grace said. "So, what did you see at the carnival?"

"I basically walked through. I didn't do much, oh, I did see the psychic. It's really a lot of mumbo jumbo." Lisbon said rolling her eyes.

Why did that psychic talk to her? She wasn't interested in men at the time, they could come later. She wanted to focus on herself and not focused on a relationship getting her distracted. She didn't want to succomb to society's goal for women to be housewives and mothers. She wanted to be independent and have her own job and she couldn't picture herself trapped in a house doing housework and waiting on a man hand and foot.

"Some people are trying to work." Another lady glared at them.

"It's not even time yet." Grace mumbled. "Sorry." Grace added sarcastically to the woman.

"Well, I better see Mr. Mashburn. He wants to dictate a letter to me." Lisbon said rising up and making her way to Mr. Mashburn's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Mr. Mashburn called.

She opened the door and sat in the chair across from the lawyer who was eagerly looking over her. She wasn't so sure about him. She wasn't as worried about carny folk as Grace called them and instead a leering lawyer who was looking her body in her gray shirtdress up and down.

"Ah, Teresa, welcome." Mr. Mashburn smugly grinned. "You got my note." He was occupied with a cigar taking a smoke from it.

"To write a letter." Lisbon responded seriously.

"I also wanted to get to know you. It says in your application, you're from Chicago." Mashburn took a look at the type written form.

"Yes, I am." Lisbon answered.

"Wonderful city." Mashburn said. "My ex-wife was from there." He said taking a whiff of his cigar.

"Oh, I'm glad you liked it." Lisbon giving a smile. "What do you want me to write?" She questioned trying to get back on task to her work. Even as much as she hated the job, she wanted to do the best work she could on it.

"You seem like such a wonderful woman." Mr. Mashburn said flirtily. Lisbon became uncomfortable at the man's flirting. "You're quite nice looking."

"What do you want me write, Mr. Mashburn?" Lisbon said seriously wanting to get on task.

"Dear Mr. Raymond Haffner...

During that time she learned Raymond Haffner was an FBI agent working for the religion Visulize which sounded like a cult, who was going through a divorce and his wife was suing him for alimony and the separation was brutal. Mr. Haffner was known as one of the most best agents in California.

After writing the letter for Mr. Mashburn, she returned to her desk to answer phone calls. Soon after, a woman in a burgundy blazer and skirt set walked in carrying a brief case and a folder with light brown hair flowing at her shoulders. She walked toward the offices and entered Mr. Mashburn's office.

"Who's that?" Grace asked one of the veteran secretaries sitting beside her named Barbara.

"Oh, that's Kim Fischer, lawyer for Lisa Haffner." Barbara answered.

"She looks tough. How'd she get in her profession?" Lisbon asked.

"Rumor has it she held the dean of the law school under gunpoint to get in." Barbara whispered. "Really quite scandulous, if you ask me?"

"Really? She didn't get in because of her intelligence?" Lisbon asked. "That has to be just a rumor."

"Part of it was that, of course. It's difficult to get respected for us women in the workplace." Barbara said. "As you've probably noticed Mr. Mashburn's wandering eyes." She whispered.

"I've noticed." Lisbon said annoyed at the thought remembering earlier in the office with Mr. Mashburn.

"Lisa Haffner has every right to the same respect as men. Your client had an affair and caused strife on my client's wellbeing!" Fischer yelled coming out of the office.

"He is a hardworking man, he deserves rights too." Mr. Mashburn talked back came out as well.

Lisbon looked at Grace who was watching the scene. Other women continued on with their jobs and didn't gawk at the sight of the two lawyers arguing. As soon as Fischer walked by, Lisbon put her head down and went back to work.

Lisbon came to her apartment building after finishing at the office, walked and ran into a blond man and fell onto the floor. "I'm sorry. Let me help you." The man said holding out his hand and she took it, her eyes still turned toward the floor. "Teresa, what do you know? I run into you again." Jane looked at the woman realizing she was the one he talked to the night before. The one he couldn't keep his eyes off during his show-the one with the sparkling green eyes.

Lisbon looked finally at the man's face and recognized the psychic from the night before. "What are you doing here?" Lisbon questioned smoothing out her dress and grabbing her little veil hat.

"Oh, looking at real estate." Jane said casually. "I noticed the sign that said apartment for rent."

"Aren't you supposed to be working at the carnival?" Lisbon asked staring at the blond psychic wearing his suit from the night before.

"I don't do my show until later tonight. I was allowed a break, so I decided to take a look at your lovely city. It really is a nice city." Jane admitted. "I like the bridge and the fact the city saved some of the old buildings."

"So, you're thinking about moving here?" Lisbon questioned putting her hands to her hips.

"I've been thinking about settling into something permanent and an apartment is a good place to start. I'm living in a trailer now." Jane confessed. "Why are you here, since you're asking me?"

"I live in this building." Lisbon reminded.

"Then you can tell me your opinion of your humble abode." Jane grinned.

"It's an apartment, a couple of bedrooms, bathroom, living area. What you would expect in an apartment." Lisbon explained.

"Then you wouldn't mind me taking a look." Jane said.

Lisbon became guarded at the moment. She hadn't let anybody in her place with the exception of her landlord and delivery men. It wasn't spotless, she had boxes around. "It's not exactly neat. I'm unpacking. I wouldn't exactly say I'm housekeeper of the year."

"Don't worry, I'm not one to judge." Jane chuckled at her admission. She wasn't the woman he expected. Most women he met thrived on being good housekeepers, he knew. Sam was particular about keeping her and Pete's trailer immaculate even with the limited space.

"I don't know if it's wise to let you in." Lisbon hestitantly said looking at the psychic. Could she trust him after what Grace said about people in the carnivals?.

"Don't worry, I'm trustworthy." Jane noticed her hestitation of letting him in her apartment. He knew people had suspicians about carnies. True, there were some of the workers he knew that he wouldn't trust with a woman, but he wasn't that type of man. He respected women. One of the reasons Angela loved him was because of that. He knew there were some of the guys she had issues with and didn't trust. "I would _never_ do anything to harm a woman",saying it with conviction.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything about you even though my new coworker said something." Lisbon admitted. "How'd you know I was thinking that?"

"Your face said it all. I realize people have a concern about carnies." Jane said. "Which is true for some."

"I just don't know how my landlord will react. I haven't brought anybody here and he's been concerned over me." Lisbon confessed.

"Just say I'm your cousin visiting." Jane said.

"Really?" Lisbon rolled her eyes and relented. "You can come in." She might as well be hospitable.

Lisbon led the psychic up the stairs. What was she doing? Why did she break down and bring a man to her apartment. It wasn't like she was going to do anything with him. She was just giving him a tour of her place for reference. She didn't believe he could read minds or talk to the dead because it was all an act. She figured he was good at reading her feeling about him coming. He seemed okay, but he was a trickster, someone trying to get people's money. Basically, lying to make a living.

"How long have you lived here? It seems like a decent place." Jane said.

"A couple weeks. I like it so far. I'm getting to make it a home. Why are you interested in talking to me?"

"I told you last night. You seem interesting and a strong woman."

"I'm not looking for anyone right now." Lisbon said giving a concerned expression. "You know, a relationship."

"Oh, me neither. I'm just want someone to talk to that's not a carny." Jane admitted. Lisbon looked and noticed gold glittering on his finger. He was married, of course, already in a relationship. It still didn't make sense why he ended up talking to her.

"So, you picked me of all people." Lisbon said as she came to her apartment door. She took her key out of her purse. She inserted into the key hole and opened the door. "Home sweet home." She walked into her box ridden living room, which revealed the couch and TV set and fireplace with no hint of personal touches with exception of a black and white photo of a young girl and three boys.

"I see what you mean." Jane said looking at the boxes and things around the floor being organized.

"Sorry, you can't say I didn't warn you. So, this is the living room, as you can see." Lisbon pointed to the couch, TV and an easy chair.

He looked down in the one of the boxes and spotted three handguns. "Whoa, you're loaded with guns." Jane said shocked at the sight of this woman having weapons.

Lisbon immediately noticed what box he looked in, realizing her firearms were in there. She knew that would shock anybody to the core. She bought one of them when she did training and the others just recently.

"There's something wrong with it. I want to protect myself." Lisbon said embarrassed.

"But three? I never imagined a nice young lady such as yourself to own weapons." Jane said surprised.

"Well, maybe I'm not that type of lady." Lisbon smirked.

"You're dressed like one." Jane eyed Lisbon in her dress.

"I prefer not to dress this way. This is for work. I generally prefer pants." Lisbon said.

"I should give you credit, you did say you wanted to be a cop." Jane said.

"You guessed it. I'll show you the rest of the rooms." Lisbon said leading him to her own room, which she was embarrassed that she left her bed morning she had woke up late and couldn't get everything done she wanted to do.

"Again, your excellent _housekeeping_ skills." Jane chuckled seeing the unmade bed.

"If I'd known I would have a guest, it would be different." Lisbon said.

"Doesn't seem like the ads worked on you." Jane laughing remembering ads he'd seen in newspapers and magazines.

"Oh, God, those ads that show women cleaning is all they do." Lisbon sarcastically said. "And being the perfect housewife."

"Bathroom." Lisbon said pointing to the small bathroom with the toilet, shower and sink.

"And guest room." Lisbon showed an empty room not furnished. "I don't know what I'm going to do with that yet."

"It seems like the perfect little place. Thanks for showing it off." Jane said. "I really appreciate it."

"So, since you're moving, does that mean you're leaving the carnival?" Lisbon asked.

"Possibly. It depends how much I can get saved for a place though I can always go to the local casino. Since, I'm here, I could offer you my unpacking services." Jane looked at her.

"It's fine, no need." Lisbon said not sure how to react to his offer.

"It's the least I could do since I basically invited myself in. I'm an expert unpacker. I've helped pack and unpack things for the carnival for years." Jane begged and grinned.

Lisbon thought about the psychic's offer. She still wasn't sure about it though she'd probably wouldn't succeed in getting much done by herself. "Since you offered, I would like help, I doubt I'll feel ambition to do it. Everytime I try, I give up. Nobody's going to see my place anyway." She shrugged.

"Until I decided to intrude." Jane grinned.

"I don't want to keep you from anything or anyone." Lisbon said thinking of his ring.

"It's okay, everything's under control there." Jane said as he headed toward the living room and to a box, realizing it was one with the firearms. "I'll let you unpack this one. I'm not a fan."

"You're scared of a woman with guns, are you?" Lisbon smirked.

"Oh, yes." Jane grinned as he grabbed another box taking out a few knick knacks Lisbon brought from home that were her mother's.

"So, you grew up in the carnival?" Lisbon asked raising her eyebrow up. She never imagined what it would be like to take a home everywhere.

"Born and raised. My dad had me do the psychic act. That's all I've known. Though we have a stopover in Carson Springs, when we're not traveling. Where did you just move from, Teresa?" Jane asked.

"Chicago." Lisbon answered.

After a half an hour, they finished unpacking and decorating Lisbon's apartment, Jane said, "I suppose I better head out and leave you in peace. I have to get ready for tonight."

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Jane." Lisbon said.

"Patrick, remember." Jane reminded.

"Well, thank you, Patrick." Lisbon said.

Jane turned before he headed towards the door. "Will I see you again this week?"

"I'll see." Lisbon said.

 **Pella is a real town in Iowa where there's a lot of Dutch heritage and the buildings are designed to look like the buildings in Holland. Van Pelt sounds like a Dutch name so I had Grace be from there.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 **I want to thank dutchie for indicating I needed to add the characters on the title part. I thank everyone for the follows and reviews I've received. I know you're seeing the characters in a completely time and different jobs. I've been enjoying writing it.**

 **I will start the case in the next chapter as I wanted to get the story set up.**

 **Disclaimer:Don't Own Anything**

The sun rose brightly through the windows of the old Airstream. Jane squinted his eyes trying to wake up. He stretched out his arms and yawned. Hearing Charlotte cry, he instantly rose up and walked toward the pull out couch bed where the little girl slept. She was crying and hiccuping, " deam." The girl wrapped her arms around her father seeking comfort.

"It's okay, honey, I'm here." Jane said hugging his daughter.

Before he and Angela were together, he never imagined he would end up being a single father. At one point, he wasn't nearly as responsible as he could have been, he still was more responsible than his father with money. He was aimless before Angela convinced him to settle and he finally decided he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. During one of their stops, they went into town and went to the justice of the peace and married Angela with Sam and Pete as witnesses. He was able to purchase rings that day with money he saved for that particular purpose for the two of them. They stayed in the trailer continuing to travel in the carnival. Angela became estastic when she found out about Charlotte and instantly thought about moving out into an house or apartment. She brought home magazines showing examples of the typical house. He wasn't sure about it, but he wanted to do anything for her. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. She died and now was missing the delight of raising their daughter together. She wanted to be a mother so much, and she wouldn't see her grow up which saddened him. It was a pleasure every day to be with his little girl. Sure, it had been challenging to raise a baby alone, though he wasn't alone with it all the time. He had Sam and Pete's help and even some of the other parents in the carnival. After seeing Teresa Lisbon's apartment yesterday, he knew it would be best for him to move out of the trailer and into a stable home with rooms. A trailer wasn't the easiest or best place to raise a child, but he had done it for the past three years. Thinking about Teresa Lisbon, he had to admit he found the woman attractive and smart, not someone who should be a secretary. She didn't seem to care to be the perfect woman or what society believed would make the perfect woman. He could tell she had a hard life having to be the responsible one. He guessed she had enough and needed to get out of her current situation. He probably shouldn't have been so pushy as she seemed very hesitant letting him in her apartment. That tended to be one of his negative traits pushing his way right in places. He thought about if he was ready to move on. He still wore his ring. He wasn't sure he could do it, but something about that Teresa pushed him to think about it. He probably needed someone to help raise his daughter, but that couldn't be the only reason to move on. He had to be ready for it and the right person needed to come along.

After a couple of minutes, he dressed his little girl and got dressed himself. He hurried and grabbed out of the small refrigerator eggs and milk. He put eggs in the pan on the small stove and started them.

He heard a knock on the door and answered revealing Sam and Pete. "Good morning, Paddy. How ya doing?" Pete said. "You never did say what you did yesterday in Sacramento." He entered the trailer and Sam instantly went to play with the little girl who sat on her bed playing with her toys.

"Well, I looked at an apartment." Jane admitted. He conveniently didn't say it was of Teresa Lisbon.

"You still have that idea." Sam piped up.

"Yes, she's going to grow up and it won't be easy to raise a child in a trailer especially a girl." Jane admitted scrambling the eggs.

"How was it, Paddy, boy?" Pete asked.

"It's perfect for Charlotte and I. Two bedrooms, living room. It wasn't huge, but it'll work." Jane said.

"You want to move to Sacramento? Couldn't you at least find a place around Carson Springs?" Pete asked.

"This seems like a good city what I've seen." Jane admitted.

"If that's what you want, we'd support you." Sam reluctantly said.

Lisbon arrived at work for the third day and greeted Grace. The other woman was already busy at her desk answering calls, so she couldn't talk. It was nice to have her boxes unpacked and out of the way and she couldn't believe she let a strange man from the carnival help her unload them. She was surprised someone that mobile would want to settle down, from what she figured, he and his wife probably made a decision to settle down. It still didn't answer the fact that he wanted to see her apartment and talk to her. True, she thought he was attractive with his blond hair and dazzling smile. Some women would fight to get a chance for a date or even to talk to, but she wasn't like those women, she wasn't going to chase a man. And even if she decided to, he was married anyway.

He was after all a conman tricking people. She believed in doing the right thing and following the rules though she could do without having to wear dresses to work and not being able to do the career she wanted.

"Ms. Lisbon, I need you to type a letter for me." Mr. Carter came up to her. She followed the lawyer into his office ready. She sat down in the seat in front of his desk.

"How has your week gone so far, Ms. Lisbon?" Mr. Carter asked.

"Fine. I'm getting settled in good." Lisbon admitted trying to make small talk. She was glad this man wasn't like Mashburn. He didn't look her up and down. He just treated her like a normal person. Though, there was something creepy about him. He almost seemed too nice though she shouldn't be so quick to judge.

Later, after finishing the letter she came out and returned to her desk and continued answering phones. A man came into the office wearing a black suit. She saw him enter Mashburn's office, she figured he was Raymond Haffner. After a few minutes he came out. "Walter, I can't have all this alimony to pay. How much money do I have to pay that bitch! Is it even legal for her to have a woman lawyer? Women need to stay at home where they belong!"

The women secretaries looked at each other obviously offended by his comment especially Lisbon. Nobody had that right to tell them what to do like that. They were humans with choices. If they didn't want to stay home, why should they?

In the afternoon, Jane walked again around town to check out schools for Charlotte close to the apartment he looked at where Teresa Lisbon lived. He had no experience whatsoever of knowledge of schools as he never attended. His father didn't believe in education, but he read books they had available. During the off months, he'd get jobs picking fruit with the migrant workers starting as a teenager. He saw a large brick school covered in ivy which had seen better days called Williams Elementary. Some of the windows appeared broken and had plastic wrap over them and the paint on the door was chipped. He wondered if it was closed down, however he heard children yelling from behind the school. He knew it was too early to consider schools, since his little girl was only three, but it was good to start looking. He opened the door expecting it to be locked, but it wasn't. He looked inside at the worn hallway and started observing the school.

"Excuse me, sir. Are you lost?" A woman's voice sounded behind him. He turned around seeing a tall black woman in a skirt suit.

"No, I'm looking at future schools for my daughter.." Jane admitted. "She's only three, but I figured it didn't hurt to look at possible schools. I'm thinking of moving here."

"Well, I believe there's a white school on the next street you'd prefer." The woman looked at him questionably doing a onceover seeing he was white and blond haired.

"It's just that this school was closer to the apartment I'm looking at. Are you a teacher?" Jane asked observing the woman. She wasn't a teacher, he didn't think. She was dressed too professional. He didn't know what teachers dressed like, so he couldn't be the judge of that.

"I'm the principal, though I used to be a teacher." The woman said staring at him.

"Ah, of course. You have that air of authority about you." Jane said. He observed her again realizing she wasn't a happy woman. Maybe because of racism going on in the south. No, it was about her personal life. He figured it out. "You're going through a divorce and have two young children I'm guessing." Jane read. "And you really worked your way up."

"Excuse me! How'd you know that?" The woman said not pleased with the observation. "That's nobody's business." She said sternly.

"Sorry, just observant. It's what I do." Jane said apologetically. He really should stop reading people like this. He knew they didn't like it. "How may I address you, Prinicipal? I'm Patrick Jane." He grinned holding out his hand.

"Hightower. Madeline Hightower." Hightower reluctantly shook his hand cautiously looking at him and released her hand. "You really should move on, Mr. Jane, to the white school. You are aware just by looking at me, this is a black school." Principal Hightower said seriously.

"I'm not picky. If you're not busy, Ms. Hightower, I wouldn't mind a tour." Jane said.

Prinicipal Hightower looked at him cautiously. He was vaguely aware of the tension between the whites and blacks from newspapers he saw thrown on the carnival grounds and of course from Sam who kept up on the news regarding segregation. He knew it was mostly in the South, but it was apparent here in California.

"You're not one of those people who are checking the schools out and determining what ones to close, Mr. Jane?" Hightower asked leerily.

"I assure you I'm not." Jane said. "I'm just a single parent wanting to look at schools for my daughter."

"Fine, Mr. Jane. Right now the children are at recess, but I'll show you a few rooms." Hightower said reluctantly turning around to lead him. He followed her lead down the hall. "I will tell you one thing we don't nearly have enough supplies as the white schools. We've tried countless of times but nobody listens."

"You probably have more school supplies I got to see as a child. I never got to go to school." Jane admitted.

"Really?" Here's a classroom. We've had to recycle old desks. And we have no new books for the children." Hightower opened a door of a classroom and led him in. "You said your daughter is three?"

"Yes. She's a handful." Jane grinned.

"Well, we have daycare and preschool along with the elementary at the end of the hall. We can't afford separate buildings so we just put them together." Hightower explained.

"That's lucky." Jane said.

"Mr. Jane, you do realize your child would be the only white child." Hightower said going to the door and going out the door. Jane followed. Hightower headed down the hall and stopped at another room with a door on the sign labeled daycare.

"Oh, that's no problem with me. Where I work and live she's subjected to many types of people." Jane said. "We're all races."

"And where exactly is that, if I may ask. Around here it's pretty segregated between whites, blacks, Asians, Hispanics." Hightower explained.

"If you noticed the posters for the carnival, that's home sweet home for me for now." Jane admitted.

"Interesting." Hightower looked skeptically.

"I'm the carnival's psychic. That's why I observed you. We carnies are not exactly looked at as the most desirable people. We know what discrimination is like." Jane said.

"All I see you as is white. I'm sorry to say." Hightower said. "Whites haven't exactly been favored with us especially in the South." Hightower said.

"I'm not racist." Jane reassured. "I've been teaching my daughter to accept everyone." Jane said.

"It's good. I teach the same to my children, but it's hard for them seeing and hearing about the violence against us in the South." Hightower said.

She showed him around the rest of first floor and second floor. Finally they noticed the children coming back in from recess. Many stared at Jane like they never seen a white man before.

"The children look happy." Jane said.

"This is what they know. They're with their peers." Hightower said. "I'd still reconsider your choice. I still suggest Michells Elementary down the street."

"I thank you for giving me a tour, Ms. Hightower I will look at the other school. You would accept my daughter?"

"We or at least me don't like to be the discriminators since we've been discriminated. But we haven't had any white children yet."

After the hard day at work, Lisbon decided to take a trip to one of the local bars based in one of the local hotels, a rather elegant place at 9:00P.M. She sat alone at one of the wooden tables, and ordered a glass of wine. Couples took glances at her wondering why a woman like her was going out alone. She didn't care about the stares, she just wanted to enjoy a glass of wine. Typically, she wouldn't go out on her own like this, she'd enjoy her wine alone in her apartment, but tonight she felt like going out somewhere. She didn't give a damn if she was alone.

"You poor girl, having to work for Mashburn. I feel for you." A voice sounded as Lisbon took a sip of her chardonnay. She looked up and stared into the face of Kim Fischer, the lawyer she saw Mashburn arguing with the other day.

"Is this seat taken?" Fischer asked pulling out the extra chair at the table.

"No, go ahead." Lisbon answered. Her table was one of the few tables available because the bar and grill was especially busy tonight. "How'd you know I work for Mashburn?"

"I saw you at the office." Fischer confessed sitting down and setting her drink on the table. She also took out a gold brass cigerette case and pulled out a cigerette. She took out a lighter and lit the cigerette and took a puff. "I bet being a secretary is a nightmare." Fischer added taking a sip of her own drink.

"I just started two days ago." Lisbon admitted taking a sip of wine.

"Then it will be a nightmare. To put it bluntly, he's an ass, a womanizing controlling ass." Fischer whispered looking around to make sure nobody heard her.

"I take it you really don't get along with him." Lisbon guessed.

"That is an understatement." Fischer responded tersely taking a smoke.

Lisbon looked at the woman. "Bad blood between you."

"He's my ex-husband. He was charming and romantic alright in the beginning. He gave me everything I could possibly want, but then he had an affair with his secretary during our marrriage. I left him faster than you could say "I do." She took a whiff of her cigerette.

Lisbon couldn't believe this woman just spilled out this personal information about herself and about her own boss. No wonder the two had the heated conversation at the office with the side of being rivals anyway.

"You're the ex-wife from Chicago?" Lisbon asked remembering Mashburn's mention of his ex-wife.

"No, that was his first ex-wife. I'm his second, I'm from Seattle originally." Fischer admitted. "I'm sure being a secretary isn't your top career choice, is it?" Fischer looked at Lisbon.

"No, it isn't. I want to be a cop but it's not exactly easy for me." Lisbon confessed.

"Well, it wasn't exactly a bed of roses for me either. It took a lot of hard work and persistence. It still does with trying to get respected."Fischer said putting some ash out in the ashtray provided at the table.

"I heard a rumor about you." Lisbon admitted wondering if it was true.

"Oh, you heard that ridiculous rumor of me putting a gun to the dean." Fischer scoffed. "It's not true. I might've said something that may have set him off to start the rumor. I'm here where I am because of my mind."

"I didn't believe it anyway." Lisbon confessed.

"I'm glad there's somebody who's smart. I wouldn't give up on your ambition and pursue it before it's too late before you're stuck in a dead end job for you forever." Fischer said.

"Why did you decide to talk to me?" Lisbon asked confused.

"I don't know, you look like you need some encouragement. I don't mean to say anything bad against secretaries, I just realize you aren't supposed to be one." Fischer said taking another whiff of her cigerette.

After talking to Ms. Fischer a while, Lisbon left the bar and hailed a cab and headed back to her apartment. She entered the front door and went up the stairs and unlocked her door, turned on the light and there in the middle of the room stood Patrick Jane holding a set of papers. She fumed at the sight and idea of someone getting into her apartment. She knew she shouldn't have trusted him. He was playing her being helpful and now he was robbing her blind perhaps. Grace's mother was right about carnies. They weren't trustworthy. Why should she trust him?

"Hello, it's good you're finally home."Jane grinned but then saw the unpleased face on Teresa's face.

"What are you doing here at 11:00 at night?" Lisbon exclaimed. "I come home and there's intruder in my house!"

"Waiting for you. It's not what it looks like." Jane looked at her sheepishly.

"What it looks like is that you broke into my apartment!" Lisbon yelled. "Leave now!"

"Broke in is such a harsh phrase. I entered without your knowledge is better." Jane said showing off a paperclip. "And made tea. I noticed your limited selection."

Lisbon looked in her kitchen and sure enough the man had found her kettle she typically made coffee in but at a rare occasion enjoyed tea. He had it heated up on her stove and had a cup on the table.

"I could have you arrested! I would like you to leave now!" Lisbon stated seriously.

"Please don't, I wasn't taking anything. I certainly won't be taking your guns!" Jane begged. "I just want to talk to you."

"Speaking of which I should've taken one with me to scare off certain offenders." Lisbon stared at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to say hello." Jane said grinning.

Lisbon rolled her eyes at his answer. "You broke into my apartment just to say hello." She said sarcastically. Lisbon stared at him knowing it was more than that. "You came for another reason."

"And what were you doing out so very late, Teresa?" Jane asked.

"None of your business. Why did you come?" Lisbon asked.

"I talked to your landlord today about the empty apartment." Jane said.

"And?" Lisbon raised her eyebrow.

"He gave me these forms." Jane said holding out the forms.

"I had to fill those out too." Lisbon said.

"But there's so many!" Jane complained. "Can't there be one and be over with it."

"Well, that's what you have to do when moving." Lisbon reminded. She might has well listen to his whim over the forms. He obviously didn't know what he was getting into being from the carnival.

"Why did you come to me about it?" Lisbon asked.

"I know you. Like you just said, you've filled them out." Jane said.

Lisbon wondered if possibly he didn't know how to read and write. If he grew up in the carnival there was no opportunities for proper education. She shouldn't be judgemental but she couldn't think of any other reason why he would come to her about filling out forms.

"Do you want me to help you?" Lisbon asked.

Jane looked offended. "I do know how to fill them out. I can read and write since that's what you're wondering."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to assume but you breaking in my apartment complaining about the forms you just received made me think otherwise." Lisbon said. "I'm tired and ready to go to bed."

"We carnies are a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them. Though my dad didn't think education was important." Jane admitted. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come this late."

"You can stay. I won't kick you out _yet._ I don't usually go to bed right away anyway. Just to remind you, next time when you want to talk to someone, come at a decent time and don't pick their lock."

"Will do, boss." Jane saluted. "I'm complaining because I don't want to fill paper work out."

"You're going to have to fill it out if you want the apartment."Lisbon said.

"I know. Okay, I wanted to fill it out somewhere different. Not everybody knows I'm thinking about leaving carnival life." Jane said. That was true. Only Sam and Pete knew. He didn't want anybody else to find out quite yet especially at the manager. He wouldn't be too pleased that his only psychic would be leaving. Jane wasn't looking forward to tell him at all. In the carnival life, you were either with the show or not with the show. He had to leave if he didn't want to work anymore.

"Fine, let's go to the kitchen. I see you've already made yourself at home." Lisbon said referring to the tea cup on the table.

Jane plopped down at the place in front of the cup and looked through the forms realizing some of the questions he may need help filling out. "I may need some help after all this is my first time renting an apartment."

He recognized it may be a little more challenging rent ing an apartment considering he hardly had some of the requirements needed such as a permanent previous address, a job outside the carnival, and a regular bank.

"Your landlord smells funny." Jane piped up.

"That's not very nice to say considering he could be your future landlord." Lisbon stared at him.

"He obviously has a different job besides being a landlord. He smells of death. So, he works with dead bodies." Jane said.

"You can tell that by smelling him?" Lisbon asked.

"Yes." Jane grinned.

"So, you're really moving for good?" Lisbon asked. "And trying the stable life. It's not all it's cracked up to be."

"Yes. I want to try it. It'll be better in the long run, I think." Jane said. He knew it would be better for Charlotte. She couldn't be raised in the carnival forever.

"You waited in my apartment just to talk to me about forms?" Lisbon asked.

"And to see you." Jane admitted.

He got started shuffling through the papers. "I could get the typewriter." Lisbon suggested.

"Those infernal things. No, I'd rather write it out." Jane refused.

He started filling out the paperwork. He made sure Teresa wasn't looking when he filled out the question asking about children. He didn't know if he was ready to tell Teresa about Charlotte. It wasn't as if he was dating her. She was just this woman he met after his show and ran into once before and finally decided to wait for her. He was attracted to her, but he wasn't sure he was ready to date yet. For now, he'd be friends with her. Of course, if he'd move into the apartment building, he'd have to tell her that he had a child. He just didn't know how she would react. He'd seen ads and magazines describing the perfect nuclear family with two parents and parents weren't part of the perfect family.

After filling out the forms, Jane got up from the chair. "Well, thank you for letting me fill out this infernal paperwork at your apartment. I hope you forgive me for my intrusion."

"You're welcome, just next time please knock on the door." Lisbon said. "I'm glad you feel comfortable, I guess." She looked at him with a confused look. She really didn't understand why he wanted to see her so much. She thought, couldn't he fill these forms out with his wife? She still wasn't pleased of his break in but she decided to not worry about it now. She never expected to see the man again after the day before.

"That I'll try to do. I hope to see you soon." Jane said holding out the forms. "Maybe moving day."

"Good to see you. Bye." Lisbon smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 **Thank you for the comments and follows. I've been enjoying taking a trip into history. Not only am I going to look at women in the 1950s, I'll look at different groups such as African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and obviously Carnies.**

 **Disclaimer:Don't Own anything**

Coming into the office the next morning, Lisbon noticed a crowd of secretaries and other office workers clammering together chattering and gathering outside the office. She stood by Grace who was panicking, retorted "I can't believe this!"

"Grace, what's going on?" Lisbon asked. She tried to look through the crowd but couldn't quite see.

"There's been a murder!" Grace exclaimed.

"Who?" Lisbon asked.

"Timothy Carter was killed last night!" Grace said shakily. "I never expected anything like this to happen!"

"What! Are the police here?" Lisbon asked.

"Yes, see the tape." Grace said pointing to yellow police tape across the entrance.

She looked beyond the police tape and in the room and saw three cops examining the body-one older man, one tall short haired man and one short Asian man all in blue police officer uniforms. The older man came from under the tape. "Excuse me, we need this crowd to clear out. They can go home."

Lisbon decided she would be the one to take the intiative to tell the crowd noticing everyone looking at each other. Mr. Mashburn and Mr. Jones hadn't come in yet which seemed strange as they always were there before everyone else.

"Everyone you are allowed to go home. The police need to do their job without interruption." Lisbon yelled.

All the secretaries looked at her whether or not they should listen to a fellow secretary and the men workers there wondered if they should listen to a woman. The cop noticed people's reluctance.  
" People, listen to Miss. ..." The cop looked at Lisbon for her name.

"Teresa Lisbon." Lisbon answered.

"Listen to Miss Lisbon. My name is Chief Virgil Minnelli, we need you to cooperate for us. We may at some point ask a few questions surrounding Mr. Carter's death." Minelli explained telling the crowd.

The crowd cleared away heading towards the elevator. Lisbon stayed put and Grace and noticed and stayed as well. "Teresa, you can leave too."

Minelli walked to Lisbon. "Your name sounds familiar, Miss Lisbon."

"I don't know how you would know, sir. I just moved here from Chicago." Lisbon confessed.

"Ah, you are her, aren't you? Chief Lawson at the academy there said he had a woman in training who was very successful." Minelli remembered looking at Lisbon.

"I took training but nobody has taken me on in any force." Lisbon admitted.

"Teresa, you trained to be a cop?" Grace asked surprised at Lisbon's confession.

"Yes, I did." Lisbon admitted to Grace.

"I see. We'll start asking you some questions." Minelli said. "Cho, Rigsby, question these ladies!" Minelli yelled to the two officers in the room.

The two men walked into the hallway and looked at the two women. Rigsby walked up to Grace and started "Where were you between 6PM and this morning?" Rigsby nervously asked staring admiringly at Grace.

"I left work and came to my apartment. My landlord can confirm I was there." Grace explained blushing. Rigsby turned to Lisbon expecting an answer to his question who kept sneaking looks at Grace to the side.

"I was at Shannahan's Bar and Grill last night and then went to the apartment." Lisbon explained.

"Is there anyone that can verify you were both places?" Cho asked Lisbon seriously noticing Rigsby being distracted by Grace.

"A Kim Fischer can say I was at the bar." Lisbon admitted not sure if she wanted to share that information. "And my landlord, Mr. Steiner saw me coming home to my apartment. And actually a Mr. Patrick Jane." Lisbon admitted remembering her late night visitor who decided to make himself at home in her apartment.

"You talked to Kim Fischer last night!" Grace said surprised.

"How long have you been working for Mr. Carter? How was he yesterday?" Rigsby asked.

"I started three days ago. I don't know anything about him and haven't spent enough time to to get to know him." Lisbon admitted. "He seemed fine, I typed a letter for him."

"He seemed okay. My answer is the same as hers." Grace remarked. "I just started too. You'd probably get better answers from the secretaries who have worked longer with him."

"Anything unusual yesterday, did you per chance see him talking to anyone, maybe someone upset?" Rigsby asked again.

"We see clients go in his office throughout the day, but nothing unusual. Nobody seemed angry at him." Lisbon stated. "Well, a man named Raymond Haffner was there and he was quite upset. He's Mr. Mashburn's client though we never saw him speak to Mr. Carter."

"Thanks for your cooperation. We may have further questions." Cho finished. "You may go."

Lisbon wondered if Chief Minelli would say more about her training. She thought she should ask about availability. Minelli said nothing more after the questioning. He came back out and she thought this could be the time to ask about it. "Excuse me, Chief Minelli, I just wonder if you have any openings in for your force?"

"Not at this time, but I certainly would look into it." Minelli said carefully, somewhat unsure of her request. "You can leave your number."

Lisbon right away grabbed her little notebook out of her purse and wrote her name and telephone number to her apartment. "Here, this is my party line number, sir."

"Wonderful to meet you, Miss. Lisbon." Minelli said taking the paper.

Lisbon and Grace both walked towards the elevator and entered. "Well, I have something to tell my parents." Grace said. "When I call them, it's going be like, "How was your day at work today?" "Oh, there was a murder." She laughed. "It's really quite awful, though." Grace then turned solemn.

"I can't believe it." Lisbon said.

"You really trained to be a cop, Teresa!" Grace exclaimed. "I thought about it too, but I knew I couldn't go to training for the obvious reason."

"In Chicago, there's a great school for that but they didn't really want me there. I couldn't get a job afterwards."Lisbon said sadly. After saying goodbye to Grace stopping on the first floor, Lisbon decided she wanted to go back to a certain place. She noticed a gurney come through the office doors and she assumed that was to take the body away. She then noticed her landlord, Mr. Steiner going along side of it.

"Mr. Steiner? This is a surprise?" Lisbon said.

"Hello, Teresa, you didn't think being a landlord was all I did, did you? I'm the local medical examiner. I was called in this morning."

"I'm glad you're here. The commotion is on the floor where I work." Lisbon said.

"See you later, Teresa. I better get going." Mr. Steiner said going to the elevator.

Lisbon hailed a cab, carefully stepped into the back seat.

"Where to?" A blond young man asked turning to face her.

"The fairgrounds." Lisbon answered.

"Oh, yeah, the carnival. Sounds cool. I want to make it out this week. I want to take my younger sister." The cab driver said.

"I'm sure she'll love it." Lisbon said smiling.

"When I'm not driving a cab, I like to tinker around on gadgets, you know like walkie talkies and such. People like to have me fix their TVs and radios." The cab driver said. "I got this to get by for money."

"That's very useful, I'm sure." Lisbon said.

"So, any particular things you're going to see there, miss?" The cab driver asked excitedly. "For reference."

"The ferris wheel, the psychic." Lisbon confessed to the talkative cab driver.

"Sounds like loads of fun." The cab driver said.

He traveled through the streets and finally stopped at the fairgrounds. Lisbon got out of the car and paid the driver. "Thank you, Mr."

"Wylie. Jason Wylie." Wylie grinned.

Lisbon walked in the entrance and through the area she walked through a couple nights ago and found Jane's tent. In front of it was seated in a red burgandy plush chair, an African-American woman holding a blonde haired little girl Lisbon guessed to be three or four.

"Do you want a psychic reading It's $2.00 per reading." Sam said.

"Is Mr. Jane there?" Lisbon asked.

"He's inside now, but he's with someone." Sam said. "You want a reading?"

"No. I just want to talk to him." Lisbon confessed.

"I could read your horoscope." Sam said.

"No, thank you, I'm fine." Lisbon said.

"I'm Sam, Patrick's friend." Sam said.

"Who's that little girl?" Lisbon indicated to the little girl.

"Charlotte, she helps out here." Sam said. " Right, honey?" Sam asked. Charlotte who grinned, but put her head down. " Sorry, she's shy. How do you know him?" Sam asked.

"I saw his show a couple nights ago." Lisbon admitted.

A dark haired woman came out of the tent and Jane followed. He looked at Teresa and grinned and edged closer to her. The woman left towards the midway.

"Teresa, what a delight!" Jane grinned. "To see you early. Don't you need to be at work?"

"Something happened at the lawyer's office where I work. One of our lawyers was found murdered this morning."

"Oh, my!" Sam said with a shocked expression.

"That's awful. So, you decided to visit me?" Jane questioned with a confused look on his face.

"You're the only person I know besides my coworkers and my landlord." Lisbon admitted. It was sad she hadn't gotten to know other people in her building. She rarely saw them, though she sometimes heard their private conversations on the party line when she called her aunt and brothers in Chicago.

"I'm touched that you see me as a friend." Jane placed his hand on his chest and grinned.

"The police were there this morning when I came in and it was crazy this morning." Lisbon said.

"That's a perfect opportunity it talk to them about being a cop." Jane lit up.

"It's not that simple, do you see I'm a woman?" Lisbon pointed to herself.  
"I see that very clearly, my dear." Jane chuckled and looked Lisbon up and down.

"They don't take women as officers. That's why I took a job as a secretary." Lisbon confessed.

"Why should that stop you? We carnies don't exactly go by what society says." Jane admitted.

"You're good at observing people, right?" Lisbon asked.

"Yes, I am."Jane answered.

"Maybe you could help." Lisbon suggested.

"You do realize cops are not synomous with carnies. Cops don't get along with us." Jane reminded.

"I realize but they would accept you over me."Lisbon insisted.

"I hardly doubt it." Jane refused.

"You see people. You saw right through me." Lisbon noted.

"Fine, I'll go with you." Jane said to Lisbon. He then looked over at Sam. "I'll be back soon."

Lisbon wondered who the little girl belonged to, but she decided to not ask about her. She was probably a little girl somebody from the carnival's.

Arriving at the police station, Jane and Lisbon waited in the lobby. A woman officer sat at the desk doing secretarial work. Her name tag said Susan Darcy. She noticed the two waiting. "May I help you?"

"Hi, my name is Teresa Lisbon, I would like to speak to Chief Minelli." Lisbon said professionally.

"He has an investigation right now." Darcy said and turned her head back.

"Are you a police officer?" Lisbon asked noticing the suit.

"Yes and no. Right now I'm a secretary and when I'm in the "field" it's usually to chaperone dances. I work under Sherriff Hannigan most of the time."

Is Sherriff Hannigan here?" Lisbon asked.

"No, he's working the same case too." Darcy said.

"I think they are here. You just don't want us to talk to them. You're being fidgety and you keep looking in the back. Your face has guilt written across it." Jane read looking at Darcy.

"Well, the murder happened in my workplace and Chief Minelli wanted me to answer a few more questions." Lisbon explained not necessisarily lying but stretching the truth.

Meanwhile, during the conversation Jane observed the back of the police station or what he saw of it. There were two obvious offices. This was the first time he had been in a station without being the one to get his dad out of trouble. His dad had a few run ins with the law with him being a conman. One time when he was 15, his father was caught selling the fake crystal that supposedly would heal a sick girl. He never liked it when his father spent time around the hospital finding marks in the patients. Patrick wanted do the shows. That was just for the enjoyment. From that experience at the jail, he got his dad out by picking locks and escaping through the back door. Briefly, he even thought to leave his dad in there, but he needed his dad. As much as he hated him, he needed him. He was never the best father. Nobody would find them because they left the next morning to continue the circuit. Right then he took off without Darcy seeing him, and went to the back room. He was going to get Chief Minelli for Teresa himself. It was a waste of time to wait in the lobby.

"Jane, what are you doing?" Lisbon called out. "Excuse me, I apologize for him. I didn't think he'd do anything like that." She headed toward the back room and found Jane. What was he doing? Didn't he realize you're supposed to wait? She was the one that wanted him to go with her to the police station. She should've suspected that with him being a carnie.

"You can't just go in without permission. It's one thing with my apartment, but in a police station!" Lisbon exclaimed.

"You were just going to wait forever." Jane said. "You asked me to come."

"Excuse me, who are you?" Chief Minelli came out of his office staring at Jane.

"Patrick Jane. Pleasure to meet your acquaintance." Jane grinned.

"Dare I want to know what you're doing here?" Minelli asked staring at Jane. "You are aware you walked into a police station without permission."

"I apologize, Chief Minelli, he came with me. I didn't expect him to just walk in like this. I would've waited." Lisbon apologized looking guilty. "I'll come back later."

"Miss Lisbon, what do you want? And why did you bring him?" Minelli asked looking at Jane.

"I was wondering if you needed any more questions answered." Lisbon said.

"I'm afraid I don't. I assume asking about job opportunities is the real reason you came by as well. It's not that I won't consider having a woman on my team, it's more about we don't have any available openings and I have to go through my boss, Mr. Bertram on new employees." Chief Minelli said regretfully and then looked at Jane again. "And why did you bring him?"

"I'm a good friend of Teresa's. She thinks I can help you. I don't really know why." Jane said.

"Sir, he's good at observation." Lisbon said.

"I'm sorry, I don't need any help at this time. The team is enough right now." Minelli finally said. "Thanks for coming in. Miss Lisbon, I will call you if there's any opening."

Lisbon left disappointed in not getting very far and Jane followed behind her. She just knew it wasn't worth it to try talking to the police chief. They all had the same viewpoints about women even though Chief Minelli seemed a little more accepting, but of course he was under people who took the idea the police force should be all men seriously.

"Maybe we should go to the crime scene. It would be a great opportunity for me to see where you work." Jane suggested and grinned.

"We can't do that. And besides they already took the body away anyway." Lisbon said. "I saw Mr. Steiner."

"I was right about him. He works with bodies." Jane said smiling a assured smile.

"We can't show up at a crime scene without being law enforcement. It's illegal." Lisbon reminded seriously.

"So, you're so devoted to a system that doesn't allow you to get a job that you want?" Jane asked. "You're going to accept your defeat just like that. You don't seem like the type of person who gives up easily."

" I have to go by what the rules are. I can't disobey. Rules help us whether you think so or not. Why should you question that anyway? You're moving into this society anyway."

"I have no choice in that matter." Jane admitted. If it was up to him he wouldn't move at all but he needed the best place to raise his child.

Lisbon decided not to further ask about Jane's decision to move. She assumed his wife was the one that wanted to move and he didn't. Why she wasn't the one helping with paperwork or coming with him to look at the apartment was beyond her? It would only make sense.

"Fine, let's go to my office building. I can't guarentee anyone's going to let us in beyond the elevator." Lisbon said.

They took a cab in silence and arrived at the office building. They got out of the cab and entered the building. Nobody was around not even guards who were usually the greeters.

"Wow, this is a big building." Jane looked above observing the place.

"My office is upstairs." Lisbon pushed the elevator button. They came inside and waited until the elevator stopped. They exited the elevator and came to the police taped crime scene seeing two men arguing. The body had not been moved liked she suspected. That was strange since Mr. Steiner was supposed to get it. She realized the two men arguing were Mr. Steiner and another man she didn't recogonize.

"I was sent over to retrieve it, not you." Mr. Steiner said.

"The AG's office called me, Brett Partridge, to retrieve the body." Partridge said.

"Excuse me, I don't see what's the excitement of a dead body." Jane said.

"Who are you?" Partridge looked at Jane.

"He's my new rentee." Steiner said annoyed. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm with her." Jane said pointing to Lisbon.

The men continued arguing ignoring the intruders. Jane decided to go under the police tape. Lisbon went after him. "What are you doing? You can't just go to a crime scene." She reminded.

"Then why'd you follow me? Seems like it'll be a while before this guy gets moved." Jane said pointing to Timothy Carter's body and remembering the arguing medical examiners.

"I work for him." Lisbon said. "Or I did."

"He's hiding a secret. There's more to him than just being a lawyer. He used cologne to hide the alcohol he drinks at night." Jane observed.

"You can tell that by looking at his body?" Lisbon asked.

"It's easier with live people, but I can tell some about him." Jane said.

"Hey, you can't get close to the body." Steiner called out.

"That's right." Another voice sounded A guy in a trench coat and hat came from the offices.

"Who are you?" Lisbon asked.

"I could ask you the same question. I don't think civilians are allowed at a crime scene. I'm Private Investigator for Mr. Carter, Lance Cummins. I've been working for him."

"And you're not a civilian?" Jane noted.

"Jane, we really should go before we get in trouble." Lisbon said. "We don't want Chief Minelli to catch us. He won't for sure hire me." They walked back to the tape and ducked under it and left to the elevator.

"That guy is suspcious. The P.I. Why did he happen to be at the crime scene?" Jane said.

"What makes you think that?" Lisbon asked.

"I don't know. He just seems off." Jane said.

"I should go home.I'm sorry I dragged you to the police station. What am I thinking? No right person in their mind is going to hire me." Lisbon said.

" I made you go to the office. Don't give up." Jane reassured and got a lightbulb in his head. " I know what will cheer you up. I'll cook for you." Jane suggested as they started walking out the door of the building.

"You're going to cook for me?" Lisbon questioned and raised her eyebrow.

"Of course. I know how to cook and the other night I saw your limited supply of food." Jane said.

"You snooped in my refrigerator and my cupboards?" Lisbon crossed her arms.

"I needed something to do while I waited for you." Jane said.

"Didn't it ever occur to you that waiting in someone's apartment is considered illegal?" Lisbon asked seriously.

"No, sorry. I apologize. As you're aware, I haven't been part of the real society." Jane confessed.

Lisbon stared at Patrick Jane wondering what to do about him. He wanted to spend time with her for some God forsaken reason. The majority of the guys in high school avoided her since they knew she was a tomboy.

"I want to take you grocery shopping." Jane said grinning.

"Don't you have a show tonight?" Lisbon asked.

"Oh, yes, I do. I have time before I have to go back. Let me get you supplies and I'll come back later Can you wait to eat?"

"I suppose." Lisbon said looking at him.

Lisbon led him to the grocery store she normally shopped. She hadn't been there for a while. As they looked in the aisles of the store Jane got everything under the sun for food. He got her chicken, meat, fresh vegetables, fruit including apples and bananas to name a few things.

"Don't you have anybody to go back to? I can't possibly need everything. I don't cook that much." Lisbon said.

"It's taken care of." Jane simply said. Charlotte was going to the hands of Angela's parents that evening, so he didn't have to worry about getting back at any certain time. They also had her the same night he went to Teresa's apartment. He made an agreement after Charlotte's birth they would be active in her life. They were highly involved with the baby for a few weeks afterwards.

"Of course, you do. All you had was a bottle of milk and a little butter and coffee and very few choices of tea." Jane admitted. "And packaged meals that look less to be desired." He turned up his nose.

"I'm sorry if I'm not a little domestic goddess. And how can you talk about food when carnival food isn't exactly a balanced meal. Popcorn, hot dogs, cotton candy, funnel cakes?" Lisbon reminded.

"I don't eat the food all the time. I buy fresh and healthy food." Jane admitted.

Arriving at Lisbon's apartment they right away stocked her shelves and refrigerator of the much needed supplies. Jane started preparing the homemade rolls, since they needed to be made two hours before. He rolled out the dough and surprised her by his skills.

She watched the rolls while he went to do his show at the carnival. She really didn't know if he would come back to make the full dinner. At least she had rolls cooking. His wife would be expecting him at some point and wouldn't appreciate him making dinner for another woman. It surprised her he hadn't said anything about her or indicated anyone else. She didn't know what he meant when he said it was taken of and that he didn't have to be back. She was starting to get uncomfortable with him just following her and wanting contact and wondering what interest in her he could possiby have other than becoming her future neighbor. And the fact he wasn't exactly aware of the rules of society.

As promised, sure enough a knock on the door sounded an hour later. She opened it and revealed Patrick Jane. "Hey, I'm here for my duty of providing you with a home cooked meal I promised. " He right away got set with putting the steaks on the stove and seasoned them. He cut up vegetables of carrots and broccoli. She had prepared the rolls and put them in a bowl with a washcloth over them to keep them warm. Lisbon didn't know what to think as she watched a man, a man from the carnival no less, cook basically a gourmet meal. "Where did you learn to cook?" Lisbon asked.

"My aunt, Sara taught me. She was the best cook around when I grew up. We have a stopover in Carson Springs like I've said before. We're not on the go all the time." Jane confessed. "She'd make these huge feasts."

"It's surprising to see a man cook." Lisbon admitted.

"I decided I wanted to learn. I watched my aunt all the time and ended up helping her. You don't take the time to cook?" Jane asked.

"Well, it's hard for me when it's just me. I cooked for my brothers some when I was home." Lisbon admitted. "I'm not going to cook a meal like that." Lisbon pointed to the steaks.

Finally, the steaks were finished and he grabbed her plates and placed them and dished out the vegetables. "Your dinner is served."

He set the plate on the table. She took a seat and instantly took a bite. "This is good. I think I may require your culinary skills more often." Lisbon teased.

"Of course, my dear, we will be considered neighbors." Jane grinned.

"When will you move?" Lisbon asked.

"Next week I believe which means I'm going to have to tell everyone." Jane said.

"What do you have in mind for work?" Lisbon decided to ask.

"I'm thinking about that." Jane answered.

Finishing up dinner, Lisbon helped by washing the dishes by hand in the sink. She wanted to do something since Jane was so wonderful at cooking. It felt nice to be pampered by a man whether or not she knew his intentions. She should really ask him, but she hadn't gotten to where she was brave enough to ask. He was a friend and she'd leave it at that. "Thank you for the dinner. It did cheer me up." She smiled.

"No problem. You shouldn't give up too much. That Chief Minelli seemed accepting. I can tell he's a good guy. He just has to listen to his boss, who obviously is not willing to take on a woman. So, what do you typically do at home by yourself."

"Well, I watch my favorite TV show, _Dragnet."_ Lisbon admitted. "Which is on tonight."

"I'll join you." Jane answered. "I don't get to watch TV too often."

 **I'm going to have Lisbon find out Jane's not married and has a child soon. I just want her to wonder about him wanting to communicate with her for a little bit. I will get more involved with the investigation and somehow get Lisbon involved.**

 **I'm still working on Our Life From Now On, so I will have a chapter up sometime.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 **As I said before I may miss some details and may not be accurate all the time with everything in the story regarding the time period. I didn't realize crime scene tape wasn't used until the 1960s. I do try to research most everything if I wonder about it.**

 **Disclaimer:Don't Own Show**

Lisbon woke to the sound of the phone ringing on the coffee table. She looked around and realized she was still on the couch and suddenly realized Patrick Jane's arms wrapped around her and he was sleeping peacefully. What happened? She didn't think he stayed? She carefully lifted his arms from his grip around her waist. How did she let something like this happen? Fall accidently asleep with a man? This sort of thing would be frowned against, and this is something she didn't think would happen to her.

She didn't know if she was supposed to work today, since her office was still considered a crime scene. She got up and answered the black dial phone. "Hello, this is Teresa Lisbon."

"Hello, Teresa, how are you?" Walter Mashburn asked on the other line.

"Fine."

"You don't need to come in today considering the unfortunate events regarding Mr. Carter. The police mentioned they need to keep our office as an active investigation. It'll be such a pity not to see your lovely face." Mashburn said.

"Thanks for letting me know, Mr. Mashburn."

"Of course, hopefully it won't be too long until we see each other again. Such tragedy!" Mr. Mashburn said. She heard the phone click off. She set the phone receiver back on the base.

Soon, she heard a loud yawn and noticed Jane stretching his arms and seated. "Hello, Teresa." He grinned.

"What happened last night?"Lisbon asked raising her eyebrows and walking nervously around the room in a panic. What would she tell him?

"Good morning to you too." Jane quipped. "I cooked for you and we watched TV."

"And we fell asleep on the , no, oh no. This can't happen!" Lisbon panicked. "I can't be this woman!"

"What woman?" Jane questioned.

"A woman who falls asleep with a random man." Lisbon answered. "This is not right."

" For one thing, I'm not random. You've known me almost a week. Yeah, I would've been that had this happened the night we met. Another thing, I don't think falling asleep on the couch is considered a crime. We both were exhausted and we fell asleep." Jane reassured putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Did anything happen last night? I wasn't drunk, was I?" Lisbon asked panicking.

"No, we just fell asleep." Jane said. "Relax. It's fine, Teresa." Jane reassured. "Though you were quite warm."Jane grinned.

Lisbon rolled her eyes at the comment. It was time to get answers from him because she wanted to know what he wanted with her exactly. Why was he so insistent in talking to her? Having her show him her apartment and why in the world did he cook for her? He was married! Was he wanting another woman on the side! She wasn't going to take being the other woman! She was a law abiding citizen and an honest woman.

"I don't understand all this. You cook for me and you help me unpack my apartment. You followed me around to the police station." Lisbon took a long glance at Jane.

"May I remind you,you asked for my help." Jane reminded listening carefully to her rant.

"But everything else you do for me, why?" Lisbon asked staring at the psychic.

Jane thought about how to answer. It was true he was doing a lot for Teresa Lisbon without letting her know why. He might as well tell her the truth. "To be honest, I like you, Teresa. I know you said you didn't want to be in a relationship yet." Jane admitted. "Telling you this doesn't come easy. I mean telling my feelings. And I haven't known you long."

"I don't want to be the other woman or mistress." Lisbon said seriously and looking down at the ring on his finger.

Jane looked down at his hand realizing his mistake of keeping his ring on. This whole time, Teresa thought he was married. He should've said something."Oh, I would never ask you to be that. I'm sorry I made you think I was married. I forgot I was wearing it."

"You forgot you're wearing a symbol of marriage on your finger." Lisbon said seriously putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm not married, I mean I was." Jane struggled. "Not anymore. I just haven't gotten around taking it off."

"You're divorced?" Lisbon guessed.

"No, she died." Jane said sadly. "I've struggled with taking the ring off because of that."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to say." Lisbon said apologetically.

Jane looked at her face observing Teresa. "You want to know what happened." Jane said preparing himself. He might as well tell Teresa about Charlotte. She was going to come up eventually and he couldn't wait forever. He'll be moving into the apartment soon and he couldn't hide the fact he had a child.

"You don't have to tell me." Lisbon stated. She did feel better he wasn't married, but it still didn't calm her down about what happened the night before.

"I need to tell you, there's something you need to know about me." Jane said.

"Okay, go ahead." Lisbon said still standing in front of him.

"Angela died giving birth." Jane said just spitting it out. "I've been a single father."

"You have a child!" Lisbon said surprised and sat down beside him relaxing.

"Yes, you never imagined me being a father?" Jane took a look at Teresa and smiled..

"I never thought about it." Lisbon said still calming down after his revelation and still nervous about this morning.

"Charlotte is three years old. I've had to raise her with help from my friends Sam and Pete."

"That's why you are looking at an apartment. To raise your child in a stable environment." Lisbon realized.

"More or less, yes and because it's what Angela wanted." Jane admitted and nodded positively. "As I guess you've been thinking, a carnival isn't the best place to raise a child."

"Yes, that's what I was thinking."

"Do you want to meet her?" Jane asked.

Lisbon was certainly surprised at Jane's revelation of being a father. She didn't expect it at all and he wasn't married. Why didn't he share that piece of information with her? The main reason he needed an apartment was for his child. "Of course." Lisbon finally said. "Why didn't you tell me before about her?" Did she want to become part of this child's life? If he was going to be her neighbor she would be?

"I was scared. I didn't know how'd you react to a single father. It's not exactly the typical family you see." Jane admitted.

"I'm a sister who had to raise her brothers since our dad decided to drink himself to death after our mother was killed and we've had to deal with his abuse. That's not exactly the most ideal family either."Lisbon explained. "People have looked at our family as a stigma. It's been very hard. It was so hard for me that I had to leave."

"I'm sorry about your parents." Jane said.

"It's reality." Lisbon said. Then she realized the little girl with Sam was Charlotte. That was his daughter. "Charlotte's yours, the little girl Sam was holding outside your tent."

"Yes, you didn't put two and two together then." Jane said grinning. "You didn't wonder then?"

"I thought she was someone else's. I guess not." Lisbon admitted.

"Sam's her primary caregiver when I can't care for her. Though she sees her grandparents, Angela's parents and her brother. She was actually with her grandparents last night. That's why I didn't need to get back last night." Jane explained. "I would't have gone if I had to get back."

"Her parents are still around?" Lisbon asked.

"Yes, and they will be none too pleased about my new moving arrangement. I understand I would be taking away their only reminder of their daughter and sister." Jane admitted

Getting ready to go to the fairgrounds, Lisbon's phone rang again. She picked up the phone. "Hello, Teresa Lisbon."

"Yes, Chief Minelli here. I talked to my boss about you. He says he's been considering having a new graduate shadow us for a week and so I mentioned you before he got others. Would you be interested in doing a job shadow? How's 2:00 this afternoon for you? And since we're still investigating your office."

"Of course, that'd be great. Thank you so much, I appreciate it."

"See you then, Miss Lisbon." Chief Minelli said.

The phone clicked off. She looked up at Jane. "I'm going to get to job shadow Mr. Minelli. He wants me to come in. It's a start for sure." She smiled.

"That's fantastic!" Jane grinned. "I knew he was a good guy."

"I'm so happy he's letting me do a job shadow." Lisbon said smiling.

They left her apartment and hailed the cab. "Well, hello again."Jason Wylie said to Lisbon. Jane looked at her. They slid into the back seat.

"Hi." Lisbon answered. "To the fairgrounds again, Mr. Wylie."

"Oh, I got to the carnival the other night. My sister enjoyed it and I did too. We went to the things you said and had lots of food and played a lot of games. It was great fun."

"That's good to hear." Jane responded. "We always love to hear that."

Wylie looked in the rearview mirror. "Hey, you're the psychic I saw." Wylie noticed Jane.

"Yes, indeed I am." Jane grinned.

After arriving at the fairgrounds, Jane headed towards the back rather than the main entrance where the patrons came through. She stopped not sure where to go.

Jane waited noticing her hesitation. "Teresa, are you coming?"

"Is it okay for me to go in the back with you?" Lisbon asked.

"You're my guest. Come on. My trailer's in the back." Jane said taking her hand. Lisbon was quite surprised at his physical touch. The back consisted of a different world than the main area, the part guests only saw. That part showed the fantasy, lights and glitter. But seeing the back revealed a world of domesticity with trailers with laundry hanging and children playing in the makeshift yards of the campground. Some of the performers, however were rehearsing for that night's show. She saw the sword swallower pull out the sword out of his mouth. She cringed at the sight not sure how anyone could possibly do that without getting cut. "Guests aren't allowed to see rehearsals." The Hispanic swallower said noticing Lisbon.

"Alfonso, she's with me." Jane said.

"And you brought the police force too." Alfonso eyed Lisbon up and down.

"I'm not." Lisbon responded wondering how he was seeing her as one. Carnies recognized her as a cop more than the rest of society. Other carnies took note of what he said and spied her suspicously.

"You certainly look like one." Alfonso replied. "Paddy, who is she?"

"This is Teresa. She's a friend. Teresa, this is Alfonso, the sword swallower."

"Hi." Alfonso reluctantly shook Lisbon's hand. Then he turned to Jane and whispered. "When did you have time to meet a woman with your job and your kid?"

"It was after a show." Jane admitted.

They left Alfonso and kept heading towards his trailer. "How do I look like a cop?" Lisbon asked.

"It's your posture. The way you hold yourself. Sorry about him. Carnies are not exactly fans of cops."

"I'm not even a cop yet. What about you? Are you the same?" Lisbon asked.

"I don't particularly like cops either, but you're different. Like you said, you're not one yet." Jane said.

Jane led her past some more trailers. A few waved and greeted him with a smile. Some stared at her, but others ignored her. She looked over and saw an elephant trainer teaching tricks and feeding the large animal. He looked over at Jane with familiar eyes.

He made it to a silver trailer which didn't look big enough for one person much less a child. In the few days she'd known him, he wasn't a typical man.

"This is home sweet home. I know it's not much. As you can see, it's the reason I want to move." Jane said going to the door and knocking. "Sam, I'm back."

The door opened revealing Sam, the woman she saw a couple of days before sitting in front of the tent holding Jane's daughter.

"Patrick, you're back. I picked her up at Ruskins. She's asleep, though she should be awake soon."Sam explained and then looked at Lisbon. "You brought the state trooper."

"I'm not exactly a cop. Good to see you again." Lisbon said looking at Sam. What was with these carnies?

Sam walked back in the trailer still eyeing Lisbon and Jane and Lisbon followed. Teresa noticed a little girl sleeping on a small bed. Teresa looked around the small area with a small kitchen area with a small stove. In the back of the trailer was a closed off room where she assumed was the other bedroom. It was unexpectantly quaint and cozy. Jane appeared to keep the place looking neat with the exception of little girl toys laying around. She saw Jane pick them up and put them on the bed.

"You remember Teresa, Sam." Jane said.

"Yes, I remember I never got properly introduced." Sam said putting her hands on her hips.

"Sam, this is Teresa." Jane introduced.

Lisbon shook Sam's hand.

"I better see what else Pete needs help with." Sam said. "Do you have any clients?"

"No, nobody signed up today." Jane said.

"See you later." Sam said as she left the trailer unsure of seeing Teresa.

"You can try to find a place. I'm sorry, I don't have a lot of sitting space. Charlotte's bed turns into a couch." Jane said.

"It's fine to stand." Lisbon said.

The little girl tossed and turned and then cried out loud. "She's been having bad dreams." Jane said. "I don't know what they're about."

Charlotte let out a loud cry. Jane right away grabbed his daughter and pulled her into a hug. "It's okay, sweetie. Daddy's here."

Lisbon couldn't help but smile at the sight of Jane comforting his little girl after a bad dream. It was beautiful. "You're such a good dad." Lisbon said.

"I wasn't after she was born." Jane admitted patting the little girl on the back as she started to calm down.

"I can imagine that it was difficult having a baby and have your wife die on the same day."Lisbon carefully said not knowing how he would react. She had always had a hard time with awkward sympathy when it came to her father's situation.

"I was a mess." Jane said thinking back in the past.

 _Three weeks had passed since Angela Ruskin's death giving birth to Charlotte Anne Jane, and the Carson Springs was still a gloomy place during the carnival layover. She was beloved to everyone with her positive attitude and loving nature. They needed to get ready for the next carnival circuit. People started to prepare, however, Patrick Jane hadn't moved from his trailer since that time. He carefully looked out the window. He hadn't seen the baby since her birth. He knew she was being well taken care of by his friends. It was too difficult to look at her. She reminded him too much of Angela. He was lost. How was he supposed to go on? She didn't deserve to die? She wanted to be a mother so much. He laid in the small bed trying to decide if he should get up. A knock on the door sounded, "Patrick, you need to get out! It's been three weeks!" Sam called. "Open up."_

 _Hearing Sam, Patrick managed to slowly climb out of the bed and walk to the door and opened it seeing Sam and Pete. Sam was holding the baby swaddled in a blanket._

" _Paddy, you look terrible." Pete said observing Patrick's sharp stubble on his face and unruly hair._

" _Thank you very much for the compliment." Patrick said sarcastically._

" _This baby girl needs her daddy." Sam said looking at the baby. "You can't hole yourself up like this. We'll be on the road soon."_

" _I can't do it. I can't look at her. She needs someone better than me caring for her." Patrick said._

" _You're going to be responsible for this sweet girl." Sam said seriously._

" _We can't have her too much longer. Angela wouldn't want you to be this way, Paddy. She'd want you to go on." Pete said._

" _Come in." Patrick said letting his friends in the trailer. He thought about what they said. He couldn't do this forever hiding out. Pete was right, Angela wouldn't want him to be this way. He sat down on the booth seat._

" _Come on, Patrick, take your little girl." Sam said. "She needs you and you need her. She's going to help you so much. She's helped us."_

 _The baby made a little coo and looked around with her blue eyes. Patrick took one look at her and knew he needed to be there. It wasn't her fault what happened to her mother. It wasn't fair of him not to do his duty. She looked so much like Angela. Sam carefully handed Charlotte to Patrick. "Hello, little girl, I'm sorry I haven't been there. I just miss your mommy, but I love you so much."_

"Wuv you, Daddy." Charlotte said breaking the hug into reality and giving a grin.

"I love you too, Charlotte. Princess, I have a friend I'd like you to meet." Jane looked up at Lisbon. "This is Teresa."

"Hello, Charlotte. You're a very pretty girl. Your daddy's lucky to have you." Lisbon said.

Charlotte looked at Teresa with curious eyes but looked down and towards her father.

"It's okay, honey. She's a friend." Jane said to his little girl. Then he looked up at Teresa. "She acts shy but once she knows someone she's fine."

"It's okay. Hello, Charlotte. I won't hurt you." Teresa said sitting carefully down by Patrick on the bed.

"Teresa's a very nice lady." Jane reminded his daughter once again. She clung to her father and putting her thumb in her mouth.

"You mentioned Angela's parents still being here. What about your parents? You've mentioned your dad a couple of times."

He thought about what to answer. "They're gone. My mother died when I was pretty small. I don't remember too much about her. My dad, well, he started me doing the whole psychic show and he was in a fight a five years old ago and he was killed in it. He had a little too much to drink and he owed the guy money and he didn't have it." Jane confessed. "Really, Sam and Pete are my family. In fact, Charlotte thinks of them as her grandparents."

"I haven't met Pete." Lisbon admitted.

"He's the elephant trainer." Jane said. "He works other jobs too."

"I saw him." Lisbon remembered seeing the big guy with a moustache and beard talking to the elephant.

"I didn't introduce you because he hates being interrupted training Daisy. I prefer him to be in a good mood rather then introduce you when he's grouchy." Jane said.

"So, Sam and Pete are married?" Lisbon asked recalling the white man and the black woman she had met.

"Yes, with the carnival way of marriage. They tried outside the carnival, but nobody accepted them getting married. Though Angela and I were married by the justice of the peace."

She walked over to the small refrigerator where she noticed a paper being held up by a magnet. It was a drawing. Teresa took the picture off the refrigerator and brings it over and sits on the bed. "Charlotte, did you draw this?" Teresa asked the little girl still attached to her father and shows the paper in question. Charlotte carefully looks up at Teresa and takes her arms off Jane and edges closer to Teresa. Jane prompts her to move. "Go on, sit by Teresa and tell her." The little girl took part of the paper and showed. "Me, Daddy, Gammy Sam and Gampy Pete." She points to all the stick figures.

"It's a very nice picture of your family." Teresa said. "Did you have her call them that?"

"That's all her. She went to Angela's parents and they taught her to call them that and when she came home she called Sam and Pete the names. She sees them all the time and so she associates them that way."

"It's lovely, it's really great you have them as part of the family." Lisbon said smiling. For a few minutes more she played with the little girl. It was a nice change to experience Charlotte since she had grown up with three brothers. She seemed like such a well cared for child with her father and her adoptive grandparents even with the environment she lived in with the carnival circuit. Lisbon's family situation could've been better. After her mother died, she didn't know what was going to happen, with her father being unpredictable as he was after drinking. At times she needed to step in and protect her brothers. He would get in a mad rampage and hit them and the next morning after sleeping the alcohol off, he would forget what he did to his children. He didn't try to take charge because he in constant grief and using alcohol as the soother.

"I should probably get going." Lisbon said getting up to leave.

"Okay, I'm glad you could come. "Jane said a little disappointed. "So, I'll have to get to my tent anyway in case I have readings." He remembered to work.

He started leading her out the trailer. "So, I know what I've said surprised you. We'll be neighbors and I know I can't hide the fact I have a child for too long."

"I was surprised, I'm glad you told me." Lisbon said. "About what you said earlier, you liking me, I'm guessing in a romantic sense." Jane nodded positively to her. "I like you too, but I'm not quite ready to go further than just friends." She hoped he wasn't going to get too disappointed in her revelation.

"I understand. I suppose it's a little soon for me. We can still be friends." Jane admitted a little disappointed. She was right, they couldn't just get in a romantic relationship just like that. They had to really get to know each other.

"I think what happened last night was a mistake., I mean falling asleep. Not that I'm saying I didn't enjoy your company. It's just too soon to go further and I think you need to focus more on your daughter."

"Maybe you're right. I'll see you later, still?" Jane asked.

"Yes." Lisbon responded and turned to leave. "Bye."

Sam noticed Teresa leaving Patrick's trailer. What was he thinking bringing a woman here? She very well knew where he was the night before. He left all of a sudden after his show without a word. She and Pete looked out for him through the years after his mother died. His father started using him and sometimes he tended to be verbally abusive to his son and at times physically, but only when the man had been drinking. Their home sometimes became a safe haven for Patrick. After Angela died and Patrick was left with the baby, they helped with everything with the baby when he was wallowing in grief over his wife's death. She went to his trailer door and knocked on Patrick's door. He answered carrying Charlotte. "Hello again, Sam." He led her into the trailer and he took a seat on the couch with the little girl holding onto him. Sam sat in the booth across him.

"What happened to you last night?" Sam demanded. "After your show. You said nothing to us." She put her hands on her hips.

"I was just in town." Jane said noticing Sam's anger. He should've said something."I'm sorry, I should've said something."

"With didn't come back, did you?" Sam asked concerned.

"No, I fell asleep at her apartment." Jane admitted a little embarrassed. " On her couch." He decided not to include they slept on the couch together.

"Ever since Monday you've been spending so much time with that woman." Sam said.

"Not the whole time. Is there something wrong with making new friends?" Jane asked.

"No, it's just society views us differently. I'm sure she's nice and all. It's just some people may get the wrong idea. It's not good for you or her and I don't want you to get hurt."

"It's fine. Nothing happened." Jane said.

"You're lying, Paddy. She was with you on that couch, wasn't she." Sam said.

"It was innocent, Sam. We fell asleep, that's it. We lost track of time." Jane admitted.

"You're lucky Ruskins had Charlotte, you couldn't have gone to some woman's apartment when you had Charlotte." Sam scolded Jane and then pointed to the little girl. "As of this week you've been gone during the day on little trips. You have to think about your child."

"Sam, that's what I've been doing in town, looking at an apartment and schools for Charlotte. Yes, I might've been spending time with Teresa some." Jane explained.

"She needs you here with her, you're her father. I don't think moving into an apartment is going to make you more of a good father than you already are. It doesn't matter where she lives, she just wants to be loved. " Sam said smiling at Charlotte.

"I know, but it's getting harder for me to take care of her in the trailer. It wasn't bad when it was my dad and I, since we were both males. But a girl is different, she'll need more privacy as she gets older." Jane reminded.

"Yes, I see your point but you moving is going to be hard on a lot of people. Did you think about what the Ruskins are going to say?" Sam asked.

"Of course, I have. I know they won't be happy." Jane said.

"It'll be hard on Pete and I." Sam said as she held out her hands and Jane gave Charlotte to Sam. "I've taken care of her for three years, how do expect me to not see that sweet little girl every day anymore." Sam asked seriously holding the little girl closely. Charlotte hugged her back. " In fact I took care of her the first three weeks of her life."

"I'm sorry, Sam. I've appreciated everything you have done for me. I couldn't have raised her without you the last three years." Jane said. "I have no choice. I have to do this."

"I will try to understand. What are you going to do for childcare once you get a job? What job are you going to do? Being a psychic is all you know." Sam questioned.

"I've looked at a school that has childcare." Jane admitted remembering Principal's Hightower's school. "I'll look at other options. For jobs, I'll figure it out."

 **I have more of the case started in the next chapter. I just couldn't fit the case into this chapter. It's definitely in the next one.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

 **Thank you for your follows on this story. It's been fun putting the characters in another time period. This chapter includes some more with the case.**

 **Disclaimer: Don't Own Anything.**

Lisbon arrived at home before she would go in to meet Chief Minelli at the police station. She didn't know what to think about this morning waking up in the arms of a man and that he actually stayed. She tried to remember what happened. They were watching TV and sitting on the couch and he just took a seat by her. During the time he glanced at her and she was trying to keep sane. She couldn't remember past that time. Of course, at that time she was thinking, what would his wife think about her husband with another woman. She was relaxed now, since Jane revealed he wasn't married, but a widower with a child. That surprised her. She didn't expect that revelation. He seemed so, maybe not irresponsible but didn't want to regard the rules. After seeing Jane with Charlotte, she saw he adored his little girl and obviously wanted to do right by her by getting a bigger place. She found it hard to believe he had raised a baby in that trailer. The space certainly small and cramped as she sat in there. She heard a knocking on the door. Was Jane back again? She walked to the door and opened it revealing Grace.

"Hello, Teresa." Grace greeted. "Can you believe we didn't have to go in today? I just wanted to see how you're doing." Grace said.

"Fine, it's good to see you. Come in." Teresa said leading her into the living room.

"Do you think the police will find out who killed Mr. Carter?" Grace asked as she sat down on the couch.

"I'm sure they will." Lisbon said sitting in the chair by the couch.

"You have a nice apartment." Grace said looking around the room. "You told me you still had boxes out. You got it organized." Grace said noticing the decorated and boxless room.

"I had some help with unpacking." Lisbon admitted. She wondered if she should at all tell Grace about Jane. She supposed this is what she should tell a girl friend.

"Who helped you?" Grace asked.

"The psychic I saw Monday night at the carnival." Lisbon spilled it out.

"Why would he help you?" Grace appeared confused.

"He happened to be looking at my apartment building and I showed him around up here. I've been spending some time with him." Lisbon confessed.

"You mean like dating?" Grace excitedly said.

"Not exactly." Lisbon answered. She really didn't want to go in too much detail about her friendship with Patrick Jane especially the fact they accidently fell asleep together. As much as she didn't care about society rules and graces, she didn't want to be thought of as a loose woman. That wasn't her. And with a man who wore his wedding ring. She luckily found out he wasn't married anymore and he was a father. Women already were questioned if they lived alone and they needed to marry immediately. She remembered her aunt trying to get her to stay in Chicago. "Teresa, you can't just leave us like this. How are you going to make it on your own?" Her aunt attempted to get her to go to a school teaching everything she needed to know to become the perfect homemaker. She refused of course.

"It's good you got some help but is he trustworthy? My mother heard carnies assault women. And are dirty." Grace said.

"I assure you he's perfectly safe. He's very clean." Lisbon said. Meeting Jane proved stereotypes were wrong. He corrected her on every assumption she had.

"I shouldn't listen to my mother all the time. Obviously, I didn't since I came here. I should just go to the carnival. It's on until Sunday, right? I don't have anything to do." Grace said.

"Grace, I need to go soon. Chief Minnelli wants me to job shadow." Lisbon admitted.

"Oh, wow, really? That's swell! He listened to you about getting a job." Grace excitedly said.

"It's not a job yet. He's letting me follow him and see what he does." Lisbon explained.

"You're going to investigate Mr. Carter's murder?" Grace asked.

"Maybe." Lisbon answered.

"Are you going to see Officer Rigsby?" Grace then asked.

"I don't know, Grace.I suppose." Lisbon said. "I did notice him looking at you."

"He's pretty handsome." Grace said swooning.

"I don't understand why this Jane finds me interesting." Lisbon said remembering what Jane told her.

"He obviously likes you. You should be happy someone likes you." Grace said.

"Yeah, maybe. He mentioned it. It's not like I'm desperate to get married." Lisbon said. "I'm just staying friends with him."

"That's always good, to be friends." Grace said. "I better go. I just wanted to check on you." Grace rose from the couch and walked to the door and opened it. "Hope to see you soon, Teresa."

After Teresa left Jane appointed Sam to stay and watch Charlotte so he could tell Charlie, their manager about moving.  
"Paddy, you know Charlie's going to blow up at you for leaving." Sam reminded as Jane was about to leave the trailer.

"I know, I know. I better just tell him and the Ruskins." Jane said. "I'm prepared for it. "

Going through the carnival past the tents and rides he finally arrived at his manager's tent. He was speaking to Max, the fire breather.

"Hey, Charlie. I need to talk to you." He yelled out.

"I'm busy, Paddy." Charlie said. Max grew irritated at the interruption. Jane waited while he finished the conversation.A skinny black haired man with a moustache came up to him. "What can I do for you, Patrick?"

"I know I should've told you this sooner, but time got away from me." Jane started.

"What, Patrick?" Charlie interrupted.

"Well, I've been thinking about this a long time. Charlotte's getting older now and it's not going to be quite as easy raising her in a trailer." Jane said.

"You're telling this to me, why?" Charlie stared with his hands on his hips.

"I'm moving to an apartment here in Sacramento. I'm leaving the carnival life."

"You're what! You're our only psychic!" Charlie angrily said.

"I'm sorry, but Angela wanted our child to live in a stable environment."

"Your father made your show, he'd hate you taking off like this." Charlie argued

"He's not here now, is he? I can't be Boy Wonder forever! It wasn't my choice to be called that!" Jane said.

"What did Angela know about the outside world? And what exactly are you going to do? Be a salesman?" Charlie said sarcastically.

"I'll find something. Angela and I were planning to leave after the baby was born if she hadn't died." Jane admitted.

"We're your only family. You can't do this." Charlie said.

"I have to for my daughter. If it was just me, I wouldn't move at all." Jane said.

"Fine. Give me your resignation at the end of the day. You do realize the Ruskins won't be too thrilled at this decision."

"I know, I'm on my way to tell them." Jane said.

After finishing one of his dreaded conversations, he headed to face his second one which was going to cause more hurt. He didn't want to cause them pain, but it was something he had to do. He walked up to their trailer which was a newer model than his. He knocked on the door. A blondish woman opened the door.

"Patrick, what are you doing here?"

"Millie, I came to tell you something."

"Come in, Patrick." Millie said.

He took a seat in one of the booths at the table.

"Charlotte's growing so fast. She's starting to talk a lot more." Millie said. "Angela would be so proud of her." A tear rolled down her face. "Henry should be coming soon."

"Yeah, she is." Jane smiled but then went serious. "What I'm about to tell you is going to be very difficult for you. Maybe I should wait until he comes."

"You can tell me now." Millie said.

" I don't know how to say this. I'll just go right and tell you." Jane sighed with regret. " I'm not moving on back to Carson Springs after this week."

"Patrick, what are you saying?" Millie panicked. "You're staying here!"

"Yes, I got an apartment and moving next week." Jane said.

"You're taking Charlotte with you, aren't you?"Millie said tense.

"Yes, she needs to grow up in a stable environment. Angela wanted her to." Jane said remoresfully.

"How can you just take our grandchild away from us! You are just as bad as your father! Cold and cruel!" Millie yelled. "Charlotte's the only thing we have left of our daughter!"

"Millie, I'm so sorry about this. This is what Angela wanted." Jane paused. We had planned to settle down after Charlotte was born. I don't know if she told you, but she wanted that." Jane said.

"Angela never mentioned such a thing. You're lying. That's all the Janes do is lie!" Millie yelled.

The trailer door opened and in came a older brown haired man. "Patrick, what are you doing here?" He noticed Jane and then noticed his wife's tears. "Millie, what's wrong?"

"Patrick's going to take our granddaughter away from us!" Millie exclaimed tearfully.

"You're what! How can you do it!" Henry yelled looking at Jane.

"I found an apartment here in town. I want to give her the best chance and she needs to have a stable environment. Angela wanted that for our child." Jane explained. It was too late, the Ruskins were already hurt and angry at his decision.

"You weren't going to discuss it with us. You were just going to take her away like that." Henry Ruskin said. "Angela would've told us before she did anything rash."

"I'm very sorry. I don't mean to hurt you, it wasn't my intention. I'm just looking out for my child." Jane explained regretfully. He looked towards the Ruskins seeing their sadness in their faces.

"You just expect us to accept we may not see her again." Henry said angrily.

"I'm not saying you can't see Charlotte. Of course, you can." Jane said.

"Just leave, Patrick. We need to think about this." Henry said seriously.

"Of course." Jane said getting up from the booth. "I appreciate everything. You will always be her grandparents." He said as he opened the door and walked out the trailer leaving the Ruskins with their tears. Jane left disappointedly knowing Angela's parents wouldn't forgive him easily for a long time. He wanted them to be involved with her life no matter the distance. Sometimes the choices in life had to be made. Now he needed to face reality and focus on getting a job to support himself and Charlotte. He'd seen help wanted signs at various places in town. Walking towards the end of the fairgrounds he caught a cab bringing in guests to the carnival and hitched a ride. After being delivered downtown, he bought a paper and looked in the want ads. He decided first to try a local diner asking for waiter and dishwasher. He knew he couldn't do his psychic act on a regular basis now at least in the beginning. Maybe he could establish something, but he really he needed to get another job to get started at being a resident of real society. He hadn't had any experience with anything other than his psychic act, but he knew he could learn if it was needed. He entered the diner and went up to the counter. "May I help you?" A waitress said.

"I'd like to speak to the manager. I'm here for the job." Jane said.

The waitress went in the back and a thin white man with a black moustache came to the counter. "Hello, I'm Mr. Adams. May I help you?"

"I'm inquiring about the job." Jane said.

Mr. Adams looked at Jane up and down suspiciously. Jane knew this man was weary of him. He didn't know why. He wasn't a minority.

"We can go to my office." Mr. Adams said. He led him to a office right besides the kitchen. "Do you have any experience?"

"No. I can learn though." Jane said willingly.

"You're not from here, are you?" Mr. Adams asked.

"No. I'm from Carson Springs." Jane admitted. He wasn't going to get into that he was from the carnival because more than likely it wouldn't go well with employers.

"I'm sorry, we're looking for someone different." Mr. Adams said. Jane looked at him knowing the man recognized him from the carnival in town.

"Because you know I'm from the carnival." Jane said.

"We just want to make sure there's good influence for the customers." Mr. Adams said honestly.

"Okay, fine. I have a daughter to raise, I'm just trying to provide for her." Jane said. "You're a bitter and lonely man who has nothing to do but judge." Jane said angrily getting up. "I guess you won't see me here again. I'm sure the eggs here aren't worthy of my mouth." He opened the door and slammed the door. What was the point? He should've known he'd get the cold shoulder. Trying to fit in this society was impossible. At least he had one person he could trust. Teresa Lisbon. He looked at the help ads again and tried one more place. Again, he wasn't accepted. He then noticed a help ad for a janitor. It wasn't much but something he could get by on. Then he noticed the familiar name. He stopped in front of the school he visted. He walked inside to the principal's office and saw the Madeline Hightower, the principal he met. He knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Hightower called.

Jane opened the door and took a seat across from Principal Hightower.

"Mr. Jane, I didn't expect to see you again." Hightower stared intently with her hands folded on her desk.

"I noticed you have a job opening." Jane said.

"Yes, for a janitor. It's not exactly a popular job." Hightower said.

"I'll do whatever job I can get. I need one to start off with." Jane said. "And I like you Miss Hightower."

"Again you will be the only white person any of these children will see and some of them may not have a good view of whites from their parents." Hightower said.

"I'm okay with it. But will I actually interact with them?" Jane asked.

"Not necessarily, but they might come across you." Hightower informed. "Do you have experience?"

"Well, I clean my trailer. No, I don't have experience at any outside job." Jane admitted.

"If you're willing to work here. I probably won't get much interest. The pay isn't much." Hightower said. "I'll need to talk to the superintendant."

"It's alright. I just need something. I'll have to bring Charlotte next week." Jane said.

"Of course, I'd love to meet her. When do you wish to start?" Hightower questioned.

"Next week, if it's not a problem. I need to finish up at the carnival." Jane said.

"That's fine. You could've gotten a job anywhere in town but you chose a black school." Hightower said giving off a questioning eye.

"I'm not particular. No one seemed too excited about hiring a carnie." Jane said.

"I suppose I know what's it like to not be accepted as a woman and a black. It's surprising they didn't accept you. You're white and a man." Hightower said.

"Just not the right type of man." Jane said. "Thank you very much for letting me work for you here. I appreciate it." Jane rose up.

"Thank you for your interest, Mr. Jane. I'll look forward to seeing you next week." Hightower said as Jane left.

Lisbon arrived at the police station on time and ready to start her job shadow and she was surprised that Minelli's boss agreed so readily. Soon, a heavyset middle aged police officer came in to greet her. "You must be that woman Minelli told me about." He said aggressively with a frown on his face. "You're not properly dressed for a woman." He eyed her dungarees or denim pants and blouse with flats. She decided she didn't want to be in a dress and heels following the police around. She didn't care about what anybody thought. Jane didn't go by rules, so she decided not to that day. She wanted to be comfortable and technically she wasn't actually working. Why should it matter what she wore?

"I didn't think a dress was needed. My name is Teresa Lisbon." She held out her hand. "I look forward to shadowing."

"Sheriff Steve Hannigan" Hannigan said reluctantly shaking Lisbon's hand. "I'm to give you a tour of the station until Minelli's ready." He said gruffly.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate it." Lisbon said. Hannigan turned around leading her, but she heard under his breath. "What is Minelli thinking bringing a woman to go along with us."

She reluctantly followed him not daring to say anything to the jerk. She knew she'd have to deal with an officer like this who didn't want her there. Hannigan unenthusiascally showed her his office, Minelli's main office, the file storage room, jail cells, interview rooms and finally the break room where they met up with Cho and Rigsby. Throughout the tour Lisbon heard Hannigan grunt and quiet complaints. Cho and Rigsby were having coffee. Rigsby looked curiously at her.

"You're that secretary we interviewed." Rigsby said taking a sip from his coffee.

"Minelli wanted to do a job shadow with a new graduate." Cho said.

"You're a graduate?" Rigsby asked. Hannigan frowned at hearing the fact.

"I trained in Chicago last year." Lisbon said.

Minelli came into the room. "Miss Lisbon, you're here." Minelli said.

"I thank you very much for letting me go along with you and your team." Lisbon walked over to the chief.

"I talked to Chief Lawson yesterday and he was really impressed with you. Your shooting was impeccable and your interview skills top notch. He's actually disappointed you haven't been hired anywhere. I thought I'd call him and see how you did. Well, let's get started."

Lisbon followed Minelli down the hall. "Has there been any unusual homicides?" Lisbon asked.

"Well, the last three years there's been a string of unusual new mother deaths. They've all been home deliveries."

"There are possible complications that could happen." Lisbon pointed out.

"Yes, that's true but these were perfectly normal deliveries. All of a sudden they died."

"Who witnessed these births? Aren't home deliveries a thing of the past?" Lisbon asked.

"Generally, the family were there to witness the births and a nurse." Minelli said.

"So, you think a nurse killed the mothers?" Lisbon asked.

"Possibly, it was the same nurse but we've had no way to find her." Minelli said. "One of the supposed murders was at a trailer park. The residents travel so we've never been able to question police in Carson Springs never got to question them. They say they're not receptive to cops." Minelli explained. Lisbon stopped in her tracks.

"How'd you know about them?" Lisbon asked finding it hard to believe. Was he referring to Jane's wife? He mentioned his wife died in child birth.

"We saw a report at the hospital that they sent out a nurse for an emergency and the police saw the body at the coroner's. As far as we know the woman was a carnie." Minelli said.

This was unbelievable, what was she to tell Jane? Should she tell him? He had a right to know his wife was possibly murdered? That some deranged nurse did something to cause bleeding.

"Why would anyone kill a new mother?" Lisbon asked.

"People have different reasons for murder. Not all of them ever make sense. We have to get back to Timothy Carter's murder." Minelli explained. Minelli led Lisbon back to the bullpen of the station where they were compiling information into folders. "Rigsby, why don't you and Cho take Miss Lisbon with you to question the wife." Minelli ordered the men.

"Okay" Rigsby said drawing out the word unsure but willing.

Cho looked confused but fine with the idea. "Come." Cho looked at Lisbon and led both her and Rigsby out the office.

Lisbon followed the two men who appeared a couple years younger. They seemed more accepting towards her than Hannigan. She imagined Officer Cho had some issues since he was Asian. She had read in the paper many people resented Koreans because they felt like they took their jobs.

They entered the 1954 Ford car and heading towards outside the city and finally arriving at a two story house. Getting out she followed the men and they knocked on the door. A long haired blonde woman in a wrap dress with a tear streaked face opened the door.

"May I help you?" She said, voice shaking.

"Yes, you're Timothy Carter's wife, is that right?" Cho asked seriously. "I'm Officer Cho, Officer Rigsby and this is Teresa Lisbon." Cho said pointing to himself and Rigsby and Lisbon.

"Yes, Sally. Have you found who killed him?" Sally asked in a saddened voice.

"No, but we're looking." Cho answered.

"You better find out. Timothy was a _good_ man. All his clients respected him." Sally said.

"We would like to ask you some questions." Rigsby said.

Lisbon watched Sally answer the questions. There was something about her that didn't seem honest. Maybe being around Jane for the few days affected her. She then realized the woman was grieving.

"Well, I suppose you can come in." Sally said as she led them to the spotless living room.

Rigsby, Cho and Lisbon took a seat on the sofa and Sally got seated in the chair across.

"Where were you two days ago in the night?" Cho asked.

"Well, I was home of course, like any other housewife. Timothy came home at 6:00 for dinner." Sally answered.

"Was Timothy having any trouble at work?" Rigsby asked.

"I don't believe so." Sally answered. "He never talked a lot about work. He just wanted to come home and relax."

"What time did Timothy typically leave for work?" Rigsby asked.

"Well, he usually left for work at 7:00-7:30 in the morning." Sally answered.

"What time did he leave on that day?" Cho asked. "The day he was killed."

"At 7:00." Sally answered. "He had kissed me goodbye."

"How long have you been married?" Lisbon asked. Rigsby and Cho looked at her but remained quiet.

"Well, three years and we've been so happy. It's been so blissful." Sally said. "Are you a cop too?" Sally questioned looking confused at Lisbon's presence.

"I'm trained to be one." Lisbon simply said.

"She's doing a job shadow." Rigsby said.

"Uh.." Sally scoffed. "Unusual for a woman to want to be in that dangerous of work." Sally responded.

"Did your husband have any enemies outside of work?" Cho asked continuing on.

"No, he didn't." Sally answered. "He's very well liked." She sat very still.

"Have you and your husband been getting along?" Lisbon asked. She thought she would ask.

"Of course, we have been. We're perfectly matched." Sally said irritated. "Now I won't get to see him come home again." Almost bursting into tears.

"There's not anything that could cause tension in your marriage?" Lisbon asked.

"Well, okay, fine. We've been wanting to have a child and last year I had a miscarriage. We were devastated. I suppose there's been friction with that. Other than that our marriage has been perfect." Sally said relenting.

"How did your husband seem in the morning?" Rigsby asked.

"Normal. He was very loving, gave me a kiss and I told him to have a good day." Sally answered.

"Thank you, Mrs. Carter for your time." Rigsby said getting up. "We may come back for more questions possibly."

After getting back in the car the officers and Lisbon prepared to go back to the station. "She's hiding something." Cho said.

"Of course she is. She's an oppressed housewife. It's clearly obvious she wasn't happy in her marriage." Lisbon said making the officers turn their heads at her confession.

"No offense, Miss Lisbon, most women I've met are very pleased to take care of the house and family." Rigsby noted.

Lisbon rolled her eyes at the officer's assumption. He didn't seem like a bad guy, but unaware of the situation of women."I beg to differ. Sure, some women want to be the "perfect" housewife, but there are women who want more potential for themselves than a housewife." Lisbon started but continued. "And the jobs that are available are limited to secretaries, maids, teachers, nurses and waitresses that I've seen. All considered feminine roles. Yes, some women are pleased at getting those type of jobs. For me, I want to be a cop." Lisbon stated passionately "I've felt oppressed by those choices."

"I suppose I'm not against the idea of women cops. It's dangerous work though. I've always seen women as nurturing." Rigsby said.

"I'm not weak." Lisbon said frustrated that women couldn't be seen as strong. She wasn't some damsel in distress that needed rescued all the time. She could take care of herself.

"I understand your oppression, Miss Lisbon." Cho spoke up. "It wasn't easy for me to get a cop job. Minelli has been the only one who hired me." Cho admitted. Speaking after being completely silent. "After I finished school."

"Chief Minelli seems like a good boss." Lisbon said.

"Yes, he is. Very fair, unlike my previous one. He's a good detective too." Rigsby answered.

"You talked to the other secretaries?" Lisbon asked.

"We shouldn't be sharing this much considering she worked for Mr. Carter." Rigsby worried.

"She's here. Minelli wanted Miss Lisbon to come with us." Cho said.

"Yes, we did. We didn't get much for answers." Rigsby said.

 _Angela screamed in pain in the trailer. It was too late to get to the hospital. Alfonso had run into town to get somebody from the hospital in Carson Springs. He came back with a nurse because the doctor was unavailable at the time._

 _Patrick kept by his wife as she pushed. "I'm here, Angela." Patrick said while holding her hand. He managed to calm her._

" _I know, Patrick." Angela said sweating and breathing hard._

 _Hours crept by and they couldn't get the baby out, the nurse came and helped and minutes later the baby cried. A few minutes later Angela bled to death._

" _Help her. Do something." Patrick yelled at the nurse._

" _I'm sorry, Mr. Jane, there wasn't anything we could do." The nurse said without feeling._

Jane woke up and screamed in bed and sweating. His heart beating quickly. He suffered from the dream of Angela's death frequently though for some reason the night before the dream didn't happen when he slept with Teresa. He always questioned what exactly happened to Angela? During her pregnancy everything went well. She had no problem but why did she die? What caused her to bleed so much? At the time after Charlotte's delivery, he spent so much time grieving her loss and not being a responsible father. Eventually after he took charge of caring for the baby and didn't think about it until just recently. He questioned it. Sure, he knew about possible hemorrhage that could take place when there was a complications. The carnival medic explained it, but now that he thought about it there was something strange about the nurse who came. The fact is that it happened so unexpectedly.

 **Dungarees are what people in the 50s called jeans. They were only normally worn at home and teenagers going out. Feedback is appreciated.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

 **I apologize for the delay in the chapter. I've been dealing with some writer's block and just recently I got out my "I Love Lucy" DVD's, which is one of my favorite shows too, besides The Mentalist. That helped me to get inspired for this story.**

Lisbon arrived at the police station ready and willing to go with whomever she needed to go with for an interview. She then noticed Walter Mashburn in the bullpen sitting at a desk with Cho and Rigsby. Cho signaled her to join them. She pulled up a chair from a empty desk and sat next to the two cops.

"Teresa, it's great to see you." Mashburn said looking carefully up and down at Lisbon. He took a long look at Rigsby and Cho in their police uniforms. "You're friends with these guys?" Walter questioned.

"We're the cops investigating the murder of Timothy Carter. That's why you were sent here." Cho said.

"I was wondering why the Chief sent me here. Oh, such tragedy! I don't understand the point of someone killing him. " Mashburn said. "Teresa, what are you doing here?"

"I'm doing a job shadow with these cops." Lisbon admitted. Mashburn took a look and grimaced a little. "You little lady being involved with the cops?"

Lisbon ignored Mashburn's response.

"We want to ask you some questions." Rigsby said.

"Oh, this is thrilling! Am I a suspect?" Mashburn asked.

"We are looking at possibilities." Cho said.

"Where were you two nights ago?" Rigsby asked.

"Oh, so I am a suspect. Yes, there have been times when I've wanted Timothy dead." Mashburn smirked.

Cho glared at him wanting him to answer the question.

"Alright, I was on a date. She was a very lovely woman. We went to Philipe's French Bistro." Mashburn said.

"Who may I ask was your date?" Lisbon asked.

"Oh, yes, Betty Larson. Such a doll." Mashburn said. "Are you finished with me yet?"

"No. Was there any conflict beteween Mr. Carter and anyone at the office?" Rigsby asked.

"No, well, clients get upset at times." Mashburn said. "I can think about a number of times clients punched me in the nose. Am I done?"

"Yes." Rigsby answered.

Mashburn straightened his tie and suit as he strolled out the door abruptly while Cho and Rigsby sat perplexedly. Cho and Rigsby glanced at each other as Cho remarked. "We don't need to waste our time on this guy."

Jane took out his box of cash from his shows stored in the drawer at the small kitchen. Today he was going do some shopping and preparing for his move today. Charlotte would be coming with him today. He heard the knocking on the door around 9:00A.M. He opened it revealing Sam and Pete. He moved from the kitchen and opened the door seeing his dear friends.

" Good morning and hello, what I can I do for you?" He answered.

"Paddy, we heard the Ruskins weren't too happy with you." Pete sternly said stepping into the trailer. Sam took a seat on the bed where Charlotte laid asleep and looked at Jane sternly. She rubbed the little girl's cheek carefully.

"Already?" Jane questioned raising his eyebrows.

"Well, you know news travels fast. Millie was complaining to me." Sam scolded. "It isn't fair."

"Yes, they were upset and I tried to explain they could see her anytime." Jane said.

"Millie told me to try to convince you to stay. I didn't know what to say to that. I know you won't change your mind." Sam said. "That's still true, right?"

"Yes, my mind has been made up. I need to do this, it's for the best." Jane explained.

Pete noticed the money box out on the counter. "What are you doing with that money?"

"I'm going into town to do some shopping and I'm taking Charlotte today." Jane said.

"You're taking her on the outside?" Sam asked. "Is that a wise idea?"

"I'm going to have to eventually. I'm asking Teresa to come." Jane said.

"You're in trouble, aren't you with that woman." Pete stared expectantly knowing Jane had developed a liking for the woman.

"Well, I do like her as a matter of fact." Jane said. "She's just someone I just met."

"You still be careful." Sam said. "We worry about you and Charlotte."

"I'll be fine." Jane said.

Sam and Pete slipped out the door as Jane started thinking about when Angela was looking forward to their possible move.

" _Can you believe in a few months we're going to be a family living in a house, the baby and us?" Angela said putting a hand on her swollen belly._

" _I know. It'll be great." Patrick said reluctantly. He was happy about being a father but wasn't sure about moving away. "What are your parents going to say to you moving?"_

" _They'll hate it. How are we all going to live in this trailer, it's cramped as it is with the two of us." Angela reminded. " I can't wait to have a little house with maybe a garden in the back and yard for our child to play in." Angela said excitedly._

" _Let me guess you want a white picket fence." Patrick said guessing._

" _That would be nice. We'll be normal people, a normal family in one place, not traveling and people not looking at us like we're scum. It'll be nice to just fit in." Angela dreamed._

" _Yes, it'll be swell." Patrick responded. He wasn't sure if he wanted to leave. The carnival was his home and he had no idea what he would do on the outside world, but he would satisfy Angela._

Jane came back from his memory. He was fulfilling Angela's dream, though it was three years late and not exactly how she envisioned. He was moving Charlotte to downtown Sacramento in an apartment. It was close enough to Angela's hope-a life outside the carnival, a real home for Charlotte. The only thing missing was Angela. She wasn't there to experience it. She was dead, never to see it. He was moving for her and their child.

After getting Charlotte up and dressed, he said. "Sweetie, we're going on a little trip today."

"We are?" The little girl responded looking lovingly at her father. Her eyes were giddy with adventure as she jumped up and down in rhythm. Jane smiled and looked upon Charlotte proudly.

Lisbon heard two knocks on the door at 2:00 in the afternoon after spending the morning interviewing Mr. Mashburn and going over the crime scene. The officers didn't get as much done with investigating the crime as they liked since other things came up that needed to be attended to right away. So, they decided to let her go home and said they would call her when they needed her. She changed into a dress after being in her pants in the morning. One big knock and one tiny knock. She opened the door and revealed Jane holding Charlotte. Lisbon was surprised he showed up. Then she remembered what Minelli said about the woman at the trailer park. She didn't know whether she should tell Jane about his wife and that his wife was possibly murdered and how he would react to the news. For now, she would wait until she was alone with him because she didn't want to tell him with his daughter present. She thought it sad that the little girl never knew her mother. She couldn't imagine not knowing her mother. Even though her own mother died when she was young, she at least had 12 wonderful years with her. This sweet little girl nestling in her father's arms could never know the joy of a mother's love. But she knew she was lucky to have a father with the same amount of love.

"Hello, I thought I would show Charlotte where we're going to live." Jane said with a large excited grin on his face.

"Hi, Charlotte, how are you?" Lisbon said to the little girl.

"Hi." The little girl quietly said and buried her head on her father's chest.

"Oh, you remember Teresa. She looked at your picture." Jane said to the little girl looking at her with loving eyes. "You don't have to be shy with her."

"It's okay. I'm still new." Lisbon said. "Come in."

He entered in the apartment. Charlotte clutched tighter to her father unsure of the new surrounding."I also wondered if you would go furniture shopping with us if it's not a big deal." Jane said.

"Sure, I would love to." Lisbon said and smiled.

"Where did you get your furniture?" Jane asked gazing at the couch and chairs in the small living room of the apartment.

"Part of it I brought from Chicago. My bed and dresser came from home. Everything else I got here. The kitchen items were already here." Lisbon admitted. "I could take you to the store I bought the furniture."

Going to the apartment Jane was renting, they looked around the empty room. Jane had put Charlotte down. She was excited walking around the different rooms not knowing what to think with the space.

"Yes, we're going to live here." Jane said as they followed Charlotte to an empty bedroom.

Going out the building Jane carried Charlotte. She looked at the yellow cabs and cars driving down the street. She looked at the buildings. The three took a cab downtown while Charlotte still looked plastered to the window wide eyed at the sights of the city. Lisbon smiled at the curiosity of the child who clearly hadn't seen anything beyond the carnival.

"I take it she hasn't seen beyond the carnival." Lisbon stated.

"No, she hasn't." Jane answered. "It took a long time for me to see anything past the carnival world. I was 12 when I was first exposed. Even in Carson Springs, we never ventured out too much past our trailer park. Unless we needed supplies and typically children don't go." Jane admitted.

After being dropped off at the shopping district, they walked to the furniture store. The large display window showcased a bed and night stand. Charlotte looked curiously at the window. "Big Bed."

"We're going to get beds for both of us. Teresa's going to help us." Jane told his daughter.

They entered the store and right away the bearded salesman in a suit came up to them. He eagarly greeted them with a look of anticipation that said he was eager to make a sale.

"May I help you?" The man asked. "My name is Ron. And I'll be pleased to help you."

"Yes, we're looking for furniture." Jane said. "We're moving to an apartment." Jane said.

"What in particular are you looking for?" Ron the salesman asked.

"We need beds for sure, a couch, and dresser. The apartment already has a refrigerator and oven and sink." Jane said.

The salesman took them to the bed and mattress section. "I assume your wife here would do the honors." The salesman noticed Lisbon.

"Oh, I'm not..." Lisbon started to say.

"Oh, I'm sure she'd be delighted to. Isn't that right, dear?" Jane interrupted grinning at Lisbon. She shot off an annoyed look.

"Well, I suppose I could." Lisbon said looking at the range of choices of beds. She chose the bed she thought fit Jane.

"And now for the little one's bed." The salesman said as they walked over to the children's beds. Charlotte looked at the beds in awe. She pointed to one and decided that would be the one.

Finally, they arrived at the couch section. "Now I would like to be in charge of the couch selection." Jane said.

The salesman showed them a few choices which Jane tried out sitting. " ." Jane said.

Finally, after much searching Jane spotted the perfect one. A brown leather couch. He right away tested in sitting but then he sprawled out across putting his hands behind his head and looked at the salesman, Lisbon and Charlotte. "Yes, this is the one." Jane said.

Charlotte climbed on and hugged her father.

"It's brown." Lisbon said.

"It's perfect." Jane said carefully taking Charlotte in his arms again getting up.

"But sir, the other ones we showed you were brand new. We just got them in. This one is used and nobody has ever looked at this one." The salesman said.

"This is my couch and I want it. It's perfect." Jane said grinning.

After picking out the furniture, Jane went to pay at the register. The clerk gave them the numbers of furniture and the clerk register rung them up. Jane took out his money and Lisbon was surprised he paid in cash. He told the clerk to have the furniture he purchased at the apartment the next week. He even had some cash left over.

"Charlotte, do you want to pick out some new clothes. You need some new dresses." Jane leaned down and asked the little girl and she nodded positively.

"Yes, Daddy." Charlotte said excitedly.

"Teresa, do you know a good store?" Jane looked up to Lisbon.

"Yes, I know a place. The store has everything. I believe there were children's clothes." Lisbon explained.

"Splendid." Jane grinned.

They arrived at the large department store with women's clothes, men clothes and children's clothes. Charlotte stood wide-eyed seeing the store. They arrived at the children's section.

"So, it must be difficult being the only parent?" Lisbon asked carefully. She wasn't sure how he would respond.

"It's been challenging, but having Sam and Pete helps and Angela's parents. Charlotte's babyhood was challenging but they helped me." Jane admitted.

"Is this the first time she's picked out her clothes?" Lisbon asked.

"Yes, because Millie's the one who made Charlotte's clothes. Right now I'm not their favorite person." Jane confessed.

"Oh, you told them you're moving." Lisbon reacted.

"Yes, they weren't too happy I'm moving." Jane said.

A woman clerk came up to them, "Hello, may I help you?"

"My daughter wants to pick out new clothes." Jane said.

"Well, hello little dear, are you excited?" The clerk looked down at Charlotte.

The little girl nodded positively. A few minutes later, they picked out several dress choices and play clothes choices. After a while, the woman looked at Lisbon with discontent. Lisbon looked away not sure why this woman looked at her that way. Then she realized looking at Jane's ring on her finger and her own hand which was ringless.

Jane noticed the clerk's disapproving look and decided to save the moment. "Ah, oh, my wife's ring is being resized. She never thinks it's the right size." Jane grinned at Lisbon. "Right, dear? I told you it fits fine." He looked at his own ring.

"Are you getting new clothes?" Lisbon asked Jane knowing she had see him in the same suit and vest ever since she met him.

"Oh, I don't need new clothes." Jane refused.

They paid for the four dresses at the register. They walked out onto the street. "Your wife is having her ring resized?" Lisbon asked confusedly. "What was that all about?"

"The clerk was disapproving us being together. She saw my ring and your ringless finger. I had to say something. I don't want anybody to judge you because you're with me."

"I very well could've been your sister for all she knew." Lisbon put her hands on her hips.

"No, you don't look like my sister. Somehow, she saw you differently." Jane said. "Like I was cheating on my wife."

"Oh." Lisbon responded, "I guess I never thought of what others might think." They spent a moment looking at each other.

"Thanks for coming with us." Jane changed the subject at hand.

"You're leaving now?" Lisbon asked disappointedly. She was enjoying the day with the father and daughter.

"You think we're leaving now?" Jane asked.

"You just acted like you were." Lisbon reminded.

"No, we're not. I'm starving. I saw a diner I approve of down the block. I want to go delight my taste buds. Are you doing anything?" Jane asked.

"No, I'll eat with you and Charlotte." Lisbon said.

"Great!"Jane grinned.

They arrived at the diner with the flashing neon sign, Joe's Diner. Red plastic booths, wooden tables and chairs, checkered floors and a jukebox filled the room. The front counter was along with a back kitchen where cooks were busy frying foods.

A waitress with a messy brown hair bun came up to them. "How many?" Bubblegum popped in her mouth.

"Two adults, one child." Jane said.

She grabbed a coloring page and crayons and grabbed a booster seat. She led them to a booth. Lisbon sat on one side and Jane and Charlotte on the other.

Charlotte looked wide eyed at the neon, flashing blue and orange jukebox. Jane and Lisbon noticed the curiosity of the little girl.

"What dat?" She pointed to the jukebox with the records turning.

"It plays music." Lisbon said turning her head at the large neon machine with the buttons and list of songs.

"Isn't that neat, honey?" Jane looked at the little girl.

"Juebo." Charlotte responded. "Mu-sik."

"Yes." Jane said.

Looking at another couple with a child around the same age, a boy. He was talking away.

"I know she doesn't talk as much as she should." Jane took note. "She's smart. She looks at things. She knows when I show her." Jane said.

Lisbon noticed the other child. "My brother didn't start having full conversations until he was five." Lisbon reassured.

"I've never read any books on parenting. I've always guessed, though some of the other parents gave me advice." Jane said.

"With my brothers, I did the same thing. I didn't know what I was doing half the time and they turned out fine." Lisbon said. "You love her and she knows that." The waitress came to take their orders.  
"May I interest you in drinks? My name is Jody and I'll be taking care of you."

"Tea for me." Jane said.

"Coffee" Lisbon said.

"And the little one?" The waitress asked.

"Milk for her." Jane said.

The waitress left to get the drink orders. Jane took a look at the menu and took a look towards his daughter. "What do you want, sweetie?" He read off the children's menu for her and she listened intently to her father.

The waitress came back to take their order and distributed the drinks. "Did you have a chance to decide?"

"I'll have the hamburger." Lisbon said.

"Meatloaf." She'll have the macaroni and cheese." Jane said.

The waitress wrote down the orders and left to turn them in.

"So, how is working with the cops?" Jane asked looking at Lisbon.

"It's been fine, though some of them don't know how to react to me being a woman. One doesn't like me too well, but I haven't gone with him. I went with them to interview a couple of suspects including my boss." Lisbon admitted.

"What have you found out?" Jane asked.

"I'm not telling you. It's a private matter. You're not involved." Lisbon refused.

"I won't tell anyone and Charlotte certainly won't say anything."

Lisbon considered this and knew crime investigations were to be kept private and she shouldn't be sharing information with a civilian. Of course, the cops probably still considered her one as well, but Minelli was willing to let her observe them and go with them. She never expected anyone to do that for her, to go above and beyond accepting her as a possible cop. Jane had seen the crime scene and read Mr. Carter. She would tell him, however she didn't want a whole diner of people to hear it.

"Okay, I will tell you, but I'd rather talk about it in private." Lisbon finally said.

Jane considered what she said. "Fair enough. I look forward to hearing about it in private." Jane grinned. "I'll talk about me then, if you don't mind. I found a job in this great town. I won't be doing my act, of course."

"It's wonderful." Lisbon smiled.

"It's not what anybody would call a job of their dreams. I was hired to be a janitor at a school." Jane said.

"It's still a job." Lisbon said. "What school?"

"The one a couple blocks away from, well, now our apartment building." Jane stated.

"That's the black school?" Lisbon questioned. "I believe it is, anyway."

"I know. The prinicipal is a good person. She's a strong woman like yourself who had to work hard for her job." Jane said speaking of Principal Hightower. "You're not against that, are you?" He took a long look at Teresa's stunned face.

Lisbon reacted and changed her face realizing she must have shown disapproval, which wasn't true. "I'm just surprised, that's all. I didn't expect that."

" Well, I actually was looking at schools for Charlotte and I came across it. Some of the places in town didn't really want me and I saw the school was advertising for a janitor so I went there." Jane admitted.

"Why wouldn't they want you?" Lisbon said confused.

"I'm a carnie, that's why. They knew I was part of the carnival, at the least the diner I tried. It wasn't this one." Jane confessed.

Charlotte took a sip of milk in the small plastic cup. During the whole time, she was focused on coloring her page and didn't pay attention to her dad or Lisbon.

"Charlotte, did you have fun today?" Lisbon asked realizing she was focused on talking to Jane.

Charlotte looked up shyly at Lisbon but then grinned with her little pigtails. "Yes."

"That's good." Lisbon said.

"You got new clothes and your own bed. What more could you ask for?" Jane said.

Throughout the time people came in and out by the sound of the doorbell. Lisbon looked and a familiar redhead with a ponytail walked in the door with a white short sleeve blouse and a large black skirt with an embroidered poodle dog and saddle shoes. Grace walked past them and looked.

"Teresa, hi, it's surprising to see you here." Grace said stopping in front of Lisbon.

"I'm just having dinner." Lisbon said. "You look different." Lisbon examined Grace's clothes.

"Oh, I know teenagers are ones wearing them, but I wanted to try the poodle skirt." Grace said embarrassed at the wardrobe.

"Are you with someone?" Lisbon asked.

"No, not really. I'm just wanting to eat something." Grace admitted. She then saw Jane and Charlotte. Jane grinned at her. "Sorry, I'm interrupting something."

"Oh, why don't you join us?" Jane said. "You know Teresa?"

"I work with her." Grace said. "I did, but our office is closed."

"Oh, Grace, this is Patrick Jane and his daughter Charlotte. Jane, this is Grace Van Pelt, my coworker."

"Great to meet you, I really haven't heard anything about you. Teresa hasn't talked much about her friends." Jane said.

Grace motioned to Lisbon to talk to her and whispered. "He's the psychic you met?" Grace said. "He has a child?"

"Yes, he's the psychic." Lisbon frustrated with Grace behaving like a gossiping teenager, she covered her noticeable blush.

"Really?" He obviously likes you if he trusts your opinion on furniture." Grace said looking back at the booth with Jane and Charlotte. "And he has a little girl."

"I didn't know right away. Her mother died. Grace, you don't have to be so excited. You barely know me. I'm his friend, that's all." Lisbon stated seriously.

"You're the only friend I know." Grace said.

Getting back to the booth, Lisbon noticed their food arrived. Charlotte was eating away and Jane waited. "I waited for you, though Charlotte was pretty hungry."

"That's alright." Lisbon said getting seated in the booth and Grace joining her on her side. The waitress noticed Grace and came and took her drink order and gave her a menu.

"So, you're done with your girl talk about me." Jane grinned.

"No, we're not." Lisbon denied.

"Yes, you were. Grace was asking about my affection for you and of course you blushed."

"I didn't blush." Lisbon denied.

"Yes, you did." Jane said than turned his eyes on Grace. "So, Grace, I take it you're not from around here. Somewhere in the midwest according to your accent."

"Uh, yes, Iowa. I wanted to get away and experience something new." Grace admitted.

"Ah, Iowa, it's a nice state. I've been through it on the circuit.I didn't get to see everything." Jane said.

"You're the psychic at the carnival in town. My cousin Yolanda is a psychic." Grace said.

"Is that right?" Jane answered. "Though I won't be psychic too much longer. Charlotte and I will be moving into Teresa's apartment building next week."

"Maybe you could help with the case of our boss' murder. I'm assuming Teresa told you about that. I remember a couple leaving the office after I worked a little late one night." Grace suggested. "Perhaps they were somewhat suspicious to me."

"That's interesting. Lisbon, you should tell Minelli." Jane said. "And we did notice that investigator at the crime scene." Then he put his fingers to his chin. "Maybe you do need a psychic."

 **I realize I didn't have much with the case and I will try to get more next chapter though I had fun writing this chapter. I'm still working on Our Life From On. I will try to update as soon as possible. I've been writing a little at a time on both stories. Feedback is appreciated.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 **I apologize for the delay in this chapter. It's been busy but I've been trying to write it a little at a time. I appreciate the follows and comments.**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own the show**

Jane prepared by packing for his big move to the apartment building he and Charlotte would call their home. He grabbed the old suitcase he found as a boy abandoned by its owners. Many times the carnies found the unwanted items by "civilized" people. He packed what few clothes he had but typically wore the same suit though Charlotte's clothes took up most of the suitcase. He gathered the few supplies from the trailer in another bag and put them in. He looked around the trailer and reminisced the years with his dad though not always pleasant. His memories he cherished most were raising and caring for Charlotte though challenging in the small space-her nighttime feedings from the bottle, her first steps, words, and everything in between. He would miss Sam and Pete coming in to chat, the sound of applause of the audience from his shows, he missed Angela announcing her news and everything about her.

Now he was in for an adventure of living in society's confines of the good and not so good . He looked forward mostly to the friendship of Teresa Lisbon, the beautiful rebel who didn't let society's expectations let her down. This new adventure would give Charlotte a chance to live a normal life, a stable life. He looked at his daughter sleeping. The only thing it would do is take her away from her grandparents, Angela's parents and Sam and Pete who could very well be her grandparents. Adjusting to a new lifestyle would be different, but they could do it. He could start this new chapter in life.

A knock on the door interrupted Jane's packing. He walked over to the door and answered it revealing Sam and Pete.

"Hello, Sam, Pete." Jane responded.

"So, Paddy, what are you going to do with your father's trailer?" Pete questioned gazing around the portable home.

"I can't keep it. I could probably trade it for a car. Jane said. "Or let someone here use it. I haven't decided."

"That would make sense." Sam stated. "This has been Charlotte's home. She only knows this as her home." Sam said.

"She'll be fine in the apartment. She's excited about having her own bed." Jane reminded.

"Give us the address to the place." Pete responded.

"If you want, you could come with me and help unpack and you can see for yourself." Jane grinned. "I think you would agree it's nice."

"Well, Paddy it seems like a good place." Pete said as he entered the apartment. He carried in a box of supplies. The moving company were on their way to deliver the beds and the couch. Jane also picked out a dining table and four chairs.

"It seems quite roomy." Sam said. "A lot roomier than the trailer." She carried a box full of Charlotte's things. Charlotte walked around the room still mesmerized by the new space. Jane watched happily as his daughter discovered the new space.

A knock on the door rapped two knocks and then another. Jane immediately answered and saw Teresa Lisbon.

"Hi, Jane." Lisbon said. "I was wondering if you needed help. I saw you come up the stairs."

"I'd be delighted for you to help." Jane grinned and put his hand on Teresa's back and guided her in the apartment. Sam and Pete looked curiously at his reaction to the woman.

"Teresa, you remember Sam." Jane said.

"Hello, Teresa." Sam said.

"And this is Pete. I believe you didn't meet him. He was busy with Daisy." Jane said.

"Hello, Teresa. Good to meet you. I've heard all about you." Pete said shaking Teresa's hand.

"What have you heard?" Lisbon asked.

"That you are a young lady trying to be a cop in a man's world. Boy, that is really brave." Pete said. "I also heard you lived in Paddy's new apartment building."

"Solving crimes is interesting to me and I want to show I can do as well a man and I want to help people." Lisbon admitted.

"I have to admit, we Carnies aren't fond of cops." Pete admitted.

"He mentioned it." Lisbon said.

"And I suppose it makes me feel better that Patrick has a friend here." Sam confessed.

Charlotte excitedly showed Sam and Pete her new bed. The moving men set the furniture where Jane wanted it placed. Pete helped with some of the heavier stuff. All in all Jane didn't have much to unpack. He left a couple of boxes that wouldn't take long to go through.

Finally, Sam and Pete settled at the door again. "Well, I suppose we better take off ourselves since we have to packing too. We'll be leaving tomorrow." Pete said.

Sam held onto to Charlotte. "Patrick, now remember, stop and say good bye. You need to see the Ruskins too." Sam reminded.

"I will get there. I don't know if they'd want to see me." Jane said.

"They'll want to see Charlotte." Sam mentioned kissing the little girl on the cheek. "I'm going to miss you, honey so much." She handed the little girl to Jane.

Jane hugged Sam and Pete as they started to leave. "Good luck, Paddy, on your new life." Pete said. "I'll miss you, too, little girl." He said to Charlotte. "Oh, we'll say these good byes later."

"I promise, I'll come out." Jane said.

Sam and Pete walked down the hall and down the stairs. Jane closed the door.

"Are you going to miss them?" Lisbon asked.

"Yes, I am. They're my family." Jane said as he set he set down Charlotte. Lisbon looked in the box she held they were not using. She noticed a couple of photos. A young light haired woman stood with an elephant. The picture appeared worn and aged. "Who's this a picture of?"

Jane noticed Lisbon holding the photo. "That's my mother. I don't remember her much. I was young when she died." Jane explained. "It's my only picture of her."

"You look like her." Lisbon said. "And who's this?" Lisbon said. Lisbon took a more recent picture but a little worn of another light haired long haired woman in a long dress and a radiant smile standing by a tree.

Jane looked at it with a sudden sad face. "Angela."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. These are your things." Lisbon said.

"Don't worry about it. She wanted this so this so badly. A home for our child. She never got it. She didn't even get to hold her daughter in her arms." Jane explained with sadness in his voice.

"Charlotte looks like her." Lisbon said.

"That's why I couldn't hold her or look at her the first few weeks of her life." Jane said.

Charlotte held out her arms to her father. He picked her up again. "Now I can't get away from holding her."

Lisbon smiled at the affection between father and daughter. She envied it a little since her father turned on her and became a man she didn't recogonize. "She loves you. Appreciate every moment." Lisbon watched the scene.

They finished organizing Jane's apartment. There wasn't a lot to put away. They put away his clothes and Charlotte's clothes and his kitchen things he brought from the trailer.

"So, you haven't told me anything about the case you're working on?"

"There's not much to tell. I told you it's private." Lisbon said.

"You promised you would tell me once we were in private. I could help you." Jane said.

Lisbon explained the interviews the police had conducted so far. "I think Mrs. Carter is hiding something. She's too perfect and was too loyal to her husband."

"And that's a bad thing."Jane said.

"She's hiding something." Lisbon said.

"And Mashburn?" Jane asked.

"What about Mashburn? I don't think he's a killer. He's just a leering playboy lawyer." Lisbon said.

"Because he's attracted to your beguiling beauty." Jane grinned.

Lisbon frowned. "Now you're seeing me as a pretty face." Lisbon said.

"Well, you are attractive inside and out. I do want to meet this Mashburn." Jane said.

"Why?" Lisbon asked.

"Just to observe him." Jane said.

"And when are you going to do that?" Lisbon asked.

"After work sometime." Jane said.

"And who's going to watch Charlotte?" Lisbon asked seeing the little girl hold tightly to her father.

"If you don't mind, would you?" Jane asked.

"Yes. What useful information will you find?"

"See how he operates and what he does. He's probably guilty of something." Jane said.

"You're not doing it now. I'm supposed to go in today." Lisbon reminded.

"I wasn't planning on it." Jane said.

Having been left off from the cab by the police station, Lisbon walked close to the alley nearby. She heard a whisper and saw a shadow and she walked quickly but soon felt her arm pulled inside the alley. She struggled to get free and finally freed her arm and looked at the attacker. She saw a man in a trench coat and turned to run away, but the man called out to her. "Don't run away. I need to talk to you."

"Fine way to talk to me." Lisbon said sarcastically irritated. "What are you doing?"

He stood apologetically. "I apologize for startling you. You're working with the police, right? Miss Lisbon."

"Yes, I am. I never said my name?" Lisbon looked at the man with black hair and moustache curiously. "I've seen you before."

"At the crime scene of Timothy Carter. At your office where you worked. I'm private investigator. Lance Cummins."

"How'd you know I was working there?" Lisbon asked.

"A guess, I suppose. You knew him briefly I suspect." Mr. Cummins said.

"He was my boss. Why'd you pull me behind here." Lisbon questioned.

"There are some things I've found out about Mr. Carter while I've been following him."

"Wait a minute. Yes, I remember you." Lisbon said then paused. "When you were there you mentioned you worked for Mr. Carter. He hired you. Why are you now saying you've followed him."

"True, I was working for him as well as another person who wanted me to follow him. I had a good offer." Mr. Cummins mentioned. "However; as I followed him, I regret doing business with him and found some unsavory things about him. There's some things I've found out about Mr. Carter while I've been following him."

"Okay. Why are you telling me?" Lisbon said.

"You might be willing to listen. You're a rebel like me in a way. The police haven't been welcome to me. I suppose because I'm a conflict of interest. I get in the way of their own investigations." Mr. Cummins divulged.

"And what makes you think I'll listen to you?" Lisbon said.

"Because you seem like a smart woman. You 're not bias towards Mr. Carter since he's been a supposed "local hero" around here. I'll get into that later." Mr. Cummins said. "You haven't known him long enough."

"How am I supposed to believe that you're not the killer?" Lisbon asked.

"I'm not. Mr. Carter has been embezzelling money from the firm. There's also been a mysterious disappearance of a girl. I think her disappearance may be related to him."

Lisbon looked at him suspicously. "Who hired you? How would you know?"

"I'd rather not say now. Where's the man you were with that day?"

"He's not here. Why do you care?" Lisbon questioned.

"He may be good with this investigation. He seemed to be good at looking into people." Mr. Cummins said.

"He's with his child." Lisbon said.

"I think he'd be a good source to use." Cummins said.

"At the crime scene you didn't seemed too pleased to see us." Lisbon remembered.

"Well, I changed my mind." Cummins said.

"I can't just work with you on the sly like this." Lisbon said. She worried about losing her chance to work with the police. She wasn't used to disobeying the law like this. "How do I know everything you said is true."

"Sometimes you have to put faith in some things." Cummins turned to leave.

"I have to go in to work now." Lisbon said as she moved towards the station.

"Just make a suggestion." Cummins said behind her.

Returning to the station, Lisbon thought about what the detective said. She didn't expect that she was working for a dishonest lawyer. Opening the station door she heard two men arguing and she stopped in her tracks and listened.

"Boss, we can't have this woman too much longer. Women aren't cut out for police work."

Lisbon recognized the voice to be Hannigan, who she knew disliked her being there. Luckily, she didn't have to deal with him.

"Hannigan, it's about time things changed. She has a good perspective. Sure, I wasn't sure about having her but she needs a chance to prove herself. If you want to stay you'll have to accept she's here." Lisbon heard Minelli say.

"Fine, it doesn't mean I like it." Hannigan mumbled begrudgingly.

Lisbon walked towards the entrance of the bullpen. She spotted Cho and Rigsby at their desks drinking coffee and eating donuts.

"Cho, did you see _A Star is Born_ with Judy Garland?" Rigsby asked.

"No. I prefer Hitchcock." Cho answered.

"Though I'm looking forward to any new Marilyn Monroe movies." Rigsby said. "Oh, you saw _Rear Window_."

"I would rather see a smart, strong woman actress." Lisbon said interrupting the men's conversation.

"If that's what you like." Rigsby answered.

"Any new information on the Carter murder?" Lisbon asked.

"Not since we talked to Mashburn." Cho said.

"So, Miss Lisbon, why do you want to become a cop?" Rigsby asked.

"Well, I want to serve justice and protect people. I'm sure the same reason both of you became one." Lisbon answered.

"True, and I know a thing or two about arson. But don't you think it's a dangerous job for a woman?" Rigsby questioned.

"Not anymore dangerous than anyone else being one. Women are not weak. Are you against me being here?" Lisbon asked. "Like Hannigan clearly has shown."

"Not necessarily. I just didn't expect a woman to actually to want to become a cop. And Hannigan's an okay guy. He just takes some time warming up to people." Rigsby said.

"Hello, Miss Lisbon." Minelli said walking happily into the bullpen. "Don't mind Hannigan, he needs to accept the world is changing." Lisbon put her hands in her lap and blushed and felt bad that Minelli heard her conversation with Rigsby. "Who knows there may be a woman president in the future." Rigsby looked perplexed at Minelli's statement.

"I don't know about that. It doesn't seem that way." Lisbon answered.

"The way I look at it history evolves. When I look at hiring people, I look at abilities. I think you have it. I heard the reports from Chicago on how you performed at the class." Minelli answered looking at Lisbon. Rigsby and Cho turned to be busy at their desks.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate you saying that, sir. I still want to prove myself more." Lisbon said.

"I have one of the other secretaries coming in and I'd like you to question her." Minelli said.

"You didn't interview all of them?" Lisbon asked.

"She wasn't there at the time." Minelli admitted.

An older gray haired woman with a gray tweed suit came into the office. Lisbon heard her talk to Susan Darcy at the front desk. She asked for Minelli and Darcy soon led her into the bullpen. Minelli greeted her instantly. "Hello, Mrs. Johnson, I'm glad you came to talk to us."

"I heard what happened to Timothy Carter. I tried to go to work after being sick and it was closed off. I will do my best to answer your questions." Mrs. Johnson said.

"Yes, I will have you talk to Miss Lisbon." Minelli said. "She's right in here."

Lisbon waited in the holding room. "Hello, I have a few questions for you."

"Well, ain't this a surprise to see a woman police officer." Mrs. Johnson observed Lisbon. "I've seen you around.

"I'm not quite one yet. I'm working towards to being one." Lisbon said. "I was working for Mr. Carter."

"You're one of the new secretaries. How are they letting you be here?" Mrs. Johnson said.

"Mr. Minelli was kind enough to let me job shadow them. Now with the questions. How long have you known Mr. Carter?"

"Oh, I've worked at the law firm for years. Mr. Carter has only been here for five years. He seemed like a nice man. His wife seemed nice. I've encountered her on a few occasions such as the company's picnic."

"Did you see anybody suspicious anyone with him?" Lisbon asked.

"There's been some times where he's argued with people. I've heard him argue with Mr. Mashburn, his wife." Mrs. Johnson explained.

"So, would you say he's that way all the time?" Lisbon asked.

"He's a lawyer, he's firm. It's how he is." Mrs. Johnson said.

"Was he acting strange the last time you saw him?" Lisbon asked.

"He seemed normal the last time, although a couple of weeks ago, I heard him argue with his accountant, I believe on the phone. I just happened to walk by his office." Mrs. Johnson said.

"What's his accountant's name?" Lisbon asked.

"I don't know." Mrs. Johnson said. "He never said his name."

"Thank you for your information." Lisbon said.

"Good luck with your shadow. One of these days women are going to do the same jobs as men." Mrs. Johnson said. "It's going to be more common than ever."

"I hope so too." Lisbon said. Mrs. Johnson stood up and Lisbon led her out the door.

The next morning Jane would start his job as janitor. It certainly wasn't the most appealing job but was something he could do and he liked Principal Hightower. He had experience of picking up trash and cleaning at the carnival. Guests weren't always considerate when it came to knowing where the trash cans were located at the fairgrounds. He settled into the apartment fairly well, though Charlotte wasn't quite used to her new bed. She loved the fact she had a new bed, but the change was troubling. She was afraid of being alone in the room and called for him. He immediately walked to her room to calm her down. He approached the bed seeing Charlotte sitting up with a tear streaked face with her thumb in her mouth. He went to the bed and sat on the edge of the bed with the mattress sinking low on the small bed because of his weight.

"It's okay, honey. I know, it's a different place. Just know I'm here." He rubbed his little girl's back. This resulted him waking up with Charlotte attached to him, her arms around his shoulders.

Getting Charlotte ready and himself, he walked to the kitchen, prepared breakfast and tea. Charlotte sat in her booster seat on the chair, ate hungerly and managed to ask "I see gamma and gampa?"

"Well," Jane started putting his fork down with his eggs. He wondered how he should explain to his three year old his real and adoptive grandparents were leaving to go back to Carson Springs and they were staying. "They're going to their home. This is now our home." Jane pointed to the kitchen and living room. "They will come visit."

She looked at him with a confused look as if asking when.

"Soon." Jane said reading his daughter's expression. "Today you'll meet some new people. Do you remember when you stayed with different people from the carnival and they watched you?" Jane asked. Besides Sam and Pete and the Ruskins, he had some of his other carnival friends watch Charlotte. It was a group effort for the carnies to take care of their own at times.

Charlotte looked at him and nodded her head positively but unassuredly.

"You're going to a place with children your age and older maybe too. It's right where I'm going to work. I'll by nearby." Jane explained. He had arranged with Principal Hightower for Charlotte to go in the daycare there at the school. Sure, he could've spent time looking at daycare in other locations in town where they would mostly be all white, but Charlotte had been exposed to different races in the carnival and was used to being with Sam.

Jane and Charlotte arrived at the school. Charlotte stared at the large building with wide eyes. She clung to her father as he held her. She always wanted to be carried and yet he needed to break the habit. He opened the door with his free hand and headed straight to Principal's Hightower's office. He put down Charlotte. She wimpered and reached her arms toward him wanting back in her father's arms. "It's okay. I'm right by you. I need you to be a big girl now and stand by me." He knocked on the door.

"Come in." Hightower called out.

Jane opened the door and he held Charlotte's hand.

"Mr. Jane, you're here." Hightower said from her desk. "And you brought a little guest."

"Oh, Principal Hightower, this is Charlotte." Jane said. Charlotte instantly grabbed her father's legs hiding her face behind them.

"Sorry, she's not used to new people." Jane said. "Charlotte, it's okay. Miss Hightower is a nice lady."

"It's alright. My children went through that stage." Hightower answered. "I'll show you where the daycare is before I get started with the job." Hightower said getting up from the desk. She walked to the door and Jane followed taking Charlotte's hand. She wimpered again to have him pick her up. He picked up Charlotte. Hightower turned "Charlotte, you love your daddy, don't you." Charlotte looked carefully but held on tight to Jane's neck.

"Too much." Jane said. "It's going to be hard for her to say goodbye."

"You'll like Miss Cindy." Hightower said to Charlotte. "You're a pretty girl." Charlotte gave a little smile.

Hightower arrived at a door where the sound of children echoed. She knocked on the door. A woman answered with a loose bun of black hair and dressed in a blue shirtwaist dress. She looked to be in her thirties. "Madeline, may I help you?"

"I have the new child, Cindy." Hightower said. "Remember I told you." Hightower paused. "Oh, and our new janitor, Patrick Jane."

Cindy looked up and down Jane and Charlotte and right away motioned to Hightower to have a private moment.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Jane, I need to talk to Cindy just a minute." Hightower said. "She forgot about me telling about her new child."

"It's fine." Jane said. He knew very well why Cindy wanted to talk.

Hightower and Cindy went inside the classroom and shut the door leaving Jane and Charlotte in the hall.

"You hired a white man?" Cindy asked.

"I told you I hired a janitor and he had a child to enroll here at the daycare." Hightower said.

"Yes, but you left out one small detail. He's white."Cindy said.

"I hired him because he was the only applicant. He just moved here and this school is close to his apartment." Hightower explained.

"What were you thinking?"Cindy questioned seriously. "Somebody else would've come forward."

"He needs a chance. We can't be prejudiced either. Somehow this world just needs to accept each other and have respect. Besides, he's from different circumstances."Hightower said. "He's from the carnival and he's been discriminated against." Hightower admitted. "He needs childcare for his daughter."

"I just don't know about how the children will handle a white child considering most of them have been told white people are bad and they're not around whites very often." Cindy said.

"I believe children will see her as a child like them." Hightower said. "You just have to be positive."

"I will, Madeline. I'm ready to meet them." Cindy said. Hightower opened the door.

"I apologize, Mr. Jane." Hightower said.

"I understand. You're surprised we're white, Cindy." Jane said holding out his free hand. "Patrick Jane."

"Cindy King." Cindy introduced herself and unassuredly accepted the handshake. "I'm the head caretaker." She released his hand. "And what's your name?" She took a look at Charlotte who held her father tightly.

"It's Charlotte. She's shy." Jane said.

"She's not used to blacks." Cindy guessed.

"Oh, she's used to all races. My friend Samantha Barsocky is black. She's been her primary caretaker besides myself since she was born. It's just any new person." Jane said.

Jane put Charlotte down. "Now honey, I'm going to be in the same building. You can go with Miss Cindy." Charlotte looked at her father then at Cindy.

"I will need a form filled out for records." Cindy said. "It's not a big deal and you can fill out later."

"Of course." Jane said. Miss Cindy held out her hand to Charlotte. Jane noticed. "It's okay, Charlotte, you can take her hand. I know, she's not as vocal now."

Miss Cindy took a hold of Charlotte's hand. Charlotte looked at her father. "I want Daddy."

"It's okay, honey. Go with her. I'll be back." Jane reassured his daughter.

"This happens when the children first come. They are reluctant to leave. Then they discover they get along with the other children, and don't want to leave here." Cindy said.

After leaving the classroom of children, Hightower led Jane to a closet. She looked at him closely. "Is that what you came to work in?" She observed Jane's suit.

"Yes." Jane replied. "This is what I wear."

"As a janitor, you'll need to wear something a little more casual." Hightower led him to the door labeled Janitor's closet.

"This is where you'll find your supplies." Hightower opened the door revealing a mop and bucket, rags, plunger, cleaners, trash bags and she pointed to a one piece janitor's suit. "This is what you'll wear."

Jane looked into the mirror after putting on the janitor's suit. He ponders- for once in his life he was going to do a honest day's work. Something Angela and Charlotte would be proud of.

The room was so quiet you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. Walter Mashburn dressed in a brown tweed suit with a paisley tie with a beige shirt. He stared investigatively across the table at his CPA dressed in a gray flannel suit and striped red tie. Walter cited numbers from the report he held in his hand. "These numbers don't seem correct. We made more last quarter than this."

"But, sir, we are down one lawyer." As he smoothed back his black greased hair and squinted his dark eyes and intensely lifted his dark as coal eyebrows.

"Somethings's not right. Mr. Carter's only been gone a few days. I need more documentation of these numbers." Mashburn looked at the paper again. The police had finally opened their office up again after it being closed a couple days after Timothy's murder.

The CPA stands up abruptly and stared at Mashburn. "Are you saying, you don't trust me?" He looked angrily towards him.

Mashburn stands up abruptly and stares squarely in the CPA's eyes. "I'm not sure, Bob, what is going on?"


End file.
